Michelle Duster

Michelle's Focus

Michelle Duster is an author, public historian, and educator who has worked for over 30 years to highlight positive contributions of African Americans and women, including her paternal great-grandmother, Ida B. Wells. She is a columnist and cultural education editor for Rebellious Magazine and has written articles for Ms. Magazine, TIME, Essence, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, People, Glamour, Daily Beast, and the North Star. She has also written, edited and contributed to over 20 books, plus worked on monuments, markers, murals, statues, street names, documentary films, neighborhood festivals, and film festivals.

Get to know Michelle in Generations of Activism: What One Woman Can Do Access Health News, March 16, 2021

Select Videos

THE WHITE HOUSE - March 29, 2022

Gave remarks at the Rose Garden ceremony where President Joe Biden signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act into law. See remarks (3 minutes)Photo credit: LaTosha Brown

BronxNet TV Interview

April 12, 2022 Interview with Kibin Allyne about importance of Emmett Till Antilynching Act and work Michelle has been involved in to remember lynching victims and Ida B. Wells

Dedication Ceremony for Equality Trailblazers March 27, 2022

Michelle's remarks are at minute 32

Centennial of 19th Amendment, August 2020

Street Renaming Ceremony, February 11, 2019

michelle's current work

Michelle Duster is currently engaged in a wide variety of public history projects to uplift the contributions women and African Americans have made to the country. Working across multiple genres she is co-producing two large-scale suffrage murals and a mural of sculptor Richard Hunt; giving presentations and speeches; and writing for several national publications including her column for Rebellious Magazine for Women. For the next several months she is at her time donation capacity.

Over the past two decades, Michelle has written books and articles, engaged in numerous interviews and programs, participated in several films, and worked on dozens of public history projects about her great-grandmother, Ida B. Wells to educate and inspire the public. If you're looking for additional information about Wells besides what is included on this website please click here for more resources. In addition, there are many videos of Michelle talking about Wells available on Youtube.

If you are interested in having Michelle engage in a funded project or activity that is focused on Black historical preservation, education, and/or the intersection of race, gender, culture & policies, please summarize in this form.

Michelle Duster Author | Educator Public Historian