bio
Photo: Diahann Williams
Crystal Marie Fleming is a critical race sociologist, the author/editor of four books and an internationally recognized expert on racism and antiracism. Her work empowers people of all backgrounds to become change agents and dismantle white supremacy. She is Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies at SUNY Stony Brook where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on racism and ethnic relations, sociological theory and qualitative methods. Dr. Fleming’s passion for speaking truth to power and promoting social transformation infuses her scholarship, writing and pedagogy. She earned a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in Sociology from Harvard University and graduated with honors in Sociology and French from Wellesley College. Her research appears in leading journals such as Social Problems, The Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Poetics, Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race and Mindfulness.
Her first book Resurrecting Slavery: Racial Legacies and White Supremacy in France (Temple University Press, 2017) uses critical race theory and qualitative research to significantly advance scholarship on racism in France and Europe. The book marshals ethnographic data, archival research and in-depth interviews with French activists and Afro-Caribbean descendants of slaves to consider how commemorations of enslavement and abolition both challenge and reproduce the racial order. Her critically acclaimed primer, How to Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy and the Racial Divide (Beacon Press, 2018), combines memoir, critical race theory, social commentary and satire to debunk common misconceptions about racism. The book earned a starred Kirkus review and has been widely praised as essential anti-racist reading by everyone from Publisher’s Weekly to Bustle, ESPN/The Undefeated to the Los Angeles Lakers, Buzzfeed, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and MarketWatch. Dr. Fleming's recent book, RISE UP! How You Can Join the Fight Against White Supremacy, is a YA nonfiction published by Henry Holt for Young Readers, that explores the roots of racism and its modern day legacies while empowering young people with actionable ways to create a more just and equitable world. RISE UP! was recognized as a Best Book of 2021 by Kirkus Reviews and Booklist. Fleming is also the co-editor of Beyond White Mindfulness: Critical Perspectives on Racism, Wellbeing and Liberation published in 2022 by Routledge. She is currently completing a fifth book, Words to Remake the World: A People's Dictionary for Social Change, under contract with Beacon Press.
An in-demand public speaker, facilitator and public intellectual known for her frank talk and insouciant humor, Crystal's provocative writing, lectures and workshops engage a wide array of scholarly and social topics related to racism and antiracism. Her work and commentary are regularly featured in a range of national and international media, including Courrier International, The Sunday Times, France24, Agency France Presse, Newsweek, Vox, Black Agenda Report, ABC News, The CBS Sunday Morning Show, The Root, NPR, and the New York Times among others. She is represented by literary agent Michael Bourret and Outspoken Agency for keynotes, workshops and speaking engagements.
Dr. Fleming is also a bold, dynamic and influential voice on Twitter with over 70,000 followers and millions of readers. Her tweets on racism and politics are frequently cited in outlets such as The LA Times, The Nation, Hip Hop Wired, The New Republic, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Blavity, USA Today and BET.
Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Dr. Fleming grew up on the East Coast in the suburbs of Philadelphia. She now resides with her partner and their wise, adorable cat in New York City.
Her first book Resurrecting Slavery: Racial Legacies and White Supremacy in France (Temple University Press, 2017) uses critical race theory and qualitative research to significantly advance scholarship on racism in France and Europe. The book marshals ethnographic data, archival research and in-depth interviews with French activists and Afro-Caribbean descendants of slaves to consider how commemorations of enslavement and abolition both challenge and reproduce the racial order. Her critically acclaimed primer, How to Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy and the Racial Divide (Beacon Press, 2018), combines memoir, critical race theory, social commentary and satire to debunk common misconceptions about racism. The book earned a starred Kirkus review and has been widely praised as essential anti-racist reading by everyone from Publisher’s Weekly to Bustle, ESPN/The Undefeated to the Los Angeles Lakers, Buzzfeed, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and MarketWatch. Dr. Fleming's recent book, RISE UP! How You Can Join the Fight Against White Supremacy, is a YA nonfiction published by Henry Holt for Young Readers, that explores the roots of racism and its modern day legacies while empowering young people with actionable ways to create a more just and equitable world. RISE UP! was recognized as a Best Book of 2021 by Kirkus Reviews and Booklist. Fleming is also the co-editor of Beyond White Mindfulness: Critical Perspectives on Racism, Wellbeing and Liberation published in 2022 by Routledge. She is currently completing a fifth book, Words to Remake the World: A People's Dictionary for Social Change, under contract with Beacon Press.
An in-demand public speaker, facilitator and public intellectual known for her frank talk and insouciant humor, Crystal's provocative writing, lectures and workshops engage a wide array of scholarly and social topics related to racism and antiracism. Her work and commentary are regularly featured in a range of national and international media, including Courrier International, The Sunday Times, France24, Agency France Presse, Newsweek, Vox, Black Agenda Report, ABC News, The CBS Sunday Morning Show, The Root, NPR, and the New York Times among others. She is represented by literary agent Michael Bourret and Outspoken Agency for keynotes, workshops and speaking engagements.
Dr. Fleming is also a bold, dynamic and influential voice on Twitter with over 70,000 followers and millions of readers. Her tweets on racism and politics are frequently cited in outlets such as The LA Times, The Nation, Hip Hop Wired, The New Republic, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Blavity, USA Today and BET.
Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Dr. Fleming grew up on the East Coast in the suburbs of Philadelphia. She now resides with her partner and their wise, adorable cat in New York City.