Collegiate Affiliation
Assistant Professor,
History
Links
Personal Website

I am historian of race, law, and empire in modern Africa. My research examines the history of Italian colonialism in Somalia and its legacies in memory, social formations, and material culture. I am currently working on a book manuscript tracing the history of soomaalinimo (somali-ness) and other categories of belonging in Somalia italiana. Built on three years of archival and oral history research in Italy, Somalia, and the UK, the manuscript denaturalizes clanship as the sole explanatory variable in Somali history and interrogates the role of slavery, labor, and nationalism in defining what it means to be Somali. I also have other ongoing writing projects related to labor, soldiering, and law in Somali history. 

Educational Background & Specialties
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Educational Background

  • Ph.D. : History, Harvard University, 2024

Specialties

  • African History
  • Italian Colonialism
  • Legal History
  • Labor History
  • Race and racialization
  • History of slavery