Biography
Rachel Willis received her B.A. in French and Francophone Studies and her M.A. in Transcultural Studies from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. At the University of Chicago, she is part of the Neubauer Family Doctoral Fellows 2021-2022 cohort, and is working towards a certificate in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Rachel's work focuses on the emergence of black feminist theory in the 1970s and 1980s and the associated explosion of literature, theater, and film that occurred among black feminists and black queer women during that time. She is also an aspiring filmmaker and currently works as a Research & Programming Assistant at Sisters in Cinema, a nonprofit organization based in South Shore that provides resources to African-American women and gender non-conforming media makers. Additionally, she is co-coordinator of the Affect & Emotions workshop at UChicago.