Cocoa M. Williams

Professor at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA

Cocoa M. Williams received her PhD in African American Literary and Cultural Studies with a minor concentration in American Modernism and Black Diasporic Modernisms at Florida State University. Her research interests include African American women’s literature, black modernity, modern African American art, black digital humanities, museum studies, black film studies, and folklore. Her dissertation project explores the impact of museum culture on African American arts and letters. She holds a B.A. in English (2005) and a B.A. in Philosophy (2005) from Valdosta State University, and she completed an M.A. in English at Clemson University in 2007.

Cocoa Williams is the recipient of the J. Russell Reaver Award for Outstanding Dissertation in American Literature or Folklore, McKnight Dissertation Fellowship, P.E.O. Scholar Award, the Ruth Yost Memorial Scholarship, among others. Dr. Williams is also a published poet. Her poetry has been published in Dogwood: A Journal of Poetry and Prose, Ninth Letter, College Language Association Journal and December Magazine. Dr. Williams is currently teaching at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA .