Dr. Aiesha Turman: Educator, writer, cultural producer, interdisciplinary scholar.
Quick Bits
While she considers herself a lifelong learner, Dr. Turman holds an Interdisciplinary Ph.D. with a major in Humanities and Culture with certificates in Creative Writing and Women’s and Gender Studies from The Union Institute & University in Cincinnati, OH.
Her dissertation, There’s Always Been an Afrofuture: Black Women’s Literature as Technology of Protest explores the Black feminist literary genealogy of Afrofuturism and is part of her broader interests in Black pasts as the key to Black Futures.
She's taught English and Africana Studies at NY City College of Technology (CUNY), Hunter College (CUNY), Nassau County Community College (SUNY), and is a new faculty in the Writing & Critical Inquiry Program at the University at Albany (SUNY).
A Bio, Of Sorts
Dr. Turman explores the endless possibilities of the future while honoring the rich tapestry of the past. She is a dedicated educator, filmmaker, writer, and seeker of knowledge. From the earliest pages of her life, storytelling held her captive. Aiesha would lose herself in books, igniting a passion for the written word that guided her path.
All of Dr. Turman’s work boils down to the notion of storytelling. Whether engaging college students in a seminar, the broader community in a place-based workshop, or as a panel participant at a conference, she is a storyteller. The stories we tell ourselves and others are the basis of identity formation and cultural understanding.
As an educator with over 20 years of experience beginning in after-school programs, then museums and cultural institutions, and formally as a high school English teacher, then at the college level, Dr. Turman is well-versed in pedagogical practices that support students/participants in recognizing their roles as knowledge bearers and culture keepers.
Her roots run deep as a descendant of the Gullah Geechie people, preserving a vibrant culture that has deeply influenced Afrofuturism. The echoes of their unique history and connection to the cosmos resonate in the heart of her storytelling and ability to create and hold space. Aiesha's writing is not limited to words; it's a testament to empowerment. With every article, personal essay, or curriculum, she aims to inspire change, one story at a time.
A Snapshot of Dr. Turman's Work
CENTRALIZING BLACK WOMEN IN PURSUIT OF A BLACK FUTURE (Keynote Address)
- Curriculum co-writer for Crip Camp, the Oscar-nominated and Peabody Award-winning documentary film
- Selected for publication in Tamara Winfrey Harris’ Dear Black Girl
- Co-writer and voice actor for The Weeksville Project, an audio drama
- Founder and facilitator of The Black Girl Project
- She Who Does it for Herself, Raising Mothers
- My Awesome Queer Black Mom on Ebony.com
- Academia Edu page
- Ante Up! advisory team
- Three-Time Humanities NY Reading And Discussion Grant Awardee
- Mama’s Writing, a profile on Raising Mothers
- Profile of a student trip I coordinated to the National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Awarded a Barnard College Library Research Award
- 2015 Culture Push Fall Fellow
A Final Note
Several years ago, Dr. Turman had the opportunity to tell part of her and her family's story via a Story Corps special project. That story has now been archived and she is delighted to share it here with you.
Dr. Turman’s initial foray into public storytelling occurred a little over 13 years ago when she produced and directed the independent documentary feature The Black Girl Project. This led to the decade-long social action project of the same name, which ended in 2019. Here’s an interview with her ahead of the premiere.