Zinga Fraser, Director of The Shirley Chisholm Project

Phone: (718) 951-5000 ext. 1772

Email: zfraser[at]brooklyn[dot]cuny[dot]edu

chisholmproject[at]brooklyn[dot]cuny[dot]edu

Zinga A. Fraser is an Assistant Professor in the Africana Studies Department at Brooklyn College.  Dr. Fraser is also the Director of the Shirley Chisholm Project on Brooklyn Women’s Activism at Brooklyn College. Professor Fraser is currently completing her manuscript titled, Sister Insider/ Sister Outsider: Shirley Chisholm and Barbara Jordan, Black Women’s Politics in the Post Civil Rights Era. Professor Fraser‘s work focuses on African American and Women’s Politics, Congressional Black Caucus, U.S. social movements and Race and Inequality. She previously served at the Women’s and Gender Studies Postdoctoral Fellow at Brooklyn College. She holds a doctorate in African American Studies from Northwestern University with a specialization in Race, Politics and Culture, and a Master’s of Arts from the Institute for Research in African American Studies at Columbia University, where she was a Paul Robeson Fellow.

She has published works in Souls: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture and She Society, the Association of Black Women’s Historians and Phillis: A Journal of African American Women’s History. She recently received the American Association of University Women Fellowship (AAUW) for 2017-2018. She has received awards from the American Political Science Association in 2014 on Minority and Urban Politics. In addition Professor Fraser has received the Zora Neale Hurston Award Excellence in Writing Award for Social Sciences at Columbia University and numerous awards and fellowships, and she was recently awarded the 2017- 2018 American Association of University Women (AAUW) Postdoctoral Fellowship—the first African-American Woman to Receive this award at Brooklyn College.

Dr. Fraser has also worked as a Legislative staffer on Capitol Hill for the late Congressman Major R. Owens. Dr. Fraser has also served as the U.S. Policy Director for the Women’s Environmental Development Organization.  She has appeared on local, and national news outlets such as C-SPAN, BBC- Africa, NY1 and WNBC-TV, Elle Magazine, USA Today, Chronicle of Higher Education and the Amsterdam News, Buzzfeed News etc.

Media inquiries see – www.zingafraser.com

Jessica Louis, Spring 2023 Intern

Jessica Louis is a returning student at Brooklyn College. She is currently in her senior year of study, working towards her undergraduate degrees. She is pursuing dual degrees – a B.A. in Africana Studies and a B.A. in Political Science. Upon the completion of her coursework at Brooklyn College, Mrs. Louis plans to further her education by continuing with her dream of going to law school. She plans to concentrate on Real Estate Law. Mrs. Louis hopes to combine her passion of law and the political process to engage in community-based programs that confront housing discrimination and offer guidance to aspiring homeowners from communities in need —in particular, the Black community.

Torrese Arquee, Administrative Assistant

Email: torresexarquee[at]gmail[dot]com

chisholmproject[at] brooklyn[dot]cuny[dot]edu

Torrese Arquee received a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s and Gender Studies at Brooklyn College. During his undergraduate studies, he conducted independent research on Shirley Chisholm with Dr. Zinga Fraser through the Mellon Transfer Student Research Program. This research focused on Chisholm’s moral philosophy, political theology and prophetic leadership. Torrese has served as the administrative assistant since 2018.

Past Staff & Leadership:

Barbara Winslow, Founder & Project Director Emeritus

Barbara Winslow is a historian who teaches in both the School of Education and the Women’s Studies Program at Brooklyn College. Along with her research interests Barbara Winslow serves on the Advisory Board of the North Star Fund a foundation serving grassroots activist organizations in New York City and a Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians. She is also on the Board of Trustees of the newly revived Antioch College.

Nila Popal, Project Admin and Special Project Consultant 2016-2017
Jason Lalor, Project Designer 2016-2017
Leslie Anselme, Project Administrator 2013-2016
Veronica G. Rodriquez, Project Administrator 2012-2013
Joyce LeeAnn Joseph, Project Administrator 2011-2012
Marwa Amer, Project Manager Summer 2008-Summer 2011
Leah Danger, Video Consultant 2009-2010
Martha Ozario, Intern 2009-2010
Zoe Black, Intern Summer 2009
Kemile Jackson, Project Manager 2007-2008