Tanisha M. Jackson, Ph.D.
Dr. Tanisha M. Jackson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of African American Studies (AAS) at Syracuse University, where she teaches courses in African Diaspora art, visual culture, and film. She also serves as Executive Director of the Community Folk Art Center (CFAC), a university-affiliated arts organization dedicated to community-engaged scholarship, exhibitions, and arts education.
Jackson’s research examines Black women’s visual culture, contemporary art practices, and community-based arts as sites of wellness, care, and cultural production. She is the author of Black Women’s Art Ecosystems: Sites of Wellness and Self-Care (University of Illinois Press), which explores how Black women artists cultivate networks of healing, sustainability, and collective care through artistic practice. Her scholarship has appeared in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, including work on digital storytelling, embodiment, and Black feminist methodologies in visual culture.
In addition to her art historical and cultural analysis, Jackson’s research engages community-based arts education across the African Diaspora, with particular attention to asset-based, justice-oriented strategies that address structural inequities in marginalized communities. Her work bridges academic research, curatorial practice, and public humanities, emphasizing the role of the arts in community wellness and social transformation.
Jackson earned her Ph.D. in Art Education, M.A. in African American Studies, and B.A. in English from The Ohio State University. She also holds an Executive Master of Business Administration from The University of Toledo.