Building Bridges Through Public Scholarship

Prithi Kanakamedala, professor of history at Bronx Community College and faculty member in the CUNY Graduate Center’s Liberal Studies master’s program, joins The Thought Project to explore the evolving role of historians and other scholars beyond the archive. As coordinator of the Graduate Center’s new Advanced Certificate in Public Scholarship, she describes how the program empowers scholars to work collaboratively with communities, translating research into public-facing projects and fostering democratic engagement. She shares her vision for scholarship that is deeply rooted in social justice, responsive to community needs, and accessible beyond academic walls. Kanakamedala also discusses her acclaimed book Brooklynites: The Remarkable Story of the Free Black Communities That Shaped a Borough, which illuminates the resilience, creativity, and civic agency of 19th-century Black New Yorkers, offering a vital lens for understanding our shared past and future.