Lashawn Harris

About the Author

Lashawn Harris is a distinguished historian and scholar whose work illuminates the hidden narratives of Black women's lives in urban America. Specializing in African American history and gender studies, she explores the intersections of race, class, and sexuality through meticulous archival research and compelling storytelling. Harris's scholarship challenges conventional histories by centering the voices of marginalized women who navigated economic survival in the shadows of society. Her groundbreaking book, Sex Workers, Psychics, and Numbers Runners: Black Women in New York City's Underground Economy (New Black Studies Series), vividly reconstructs the vibrant yet perilous world of Harlem's informal economies during the early twentieth century, earning acclaim for its innovative approach to social history. As a professor and public intellectual, Harris continues to advocate for inclusive narratives that honor the resilience and agency of Black women.