Brandon Micheal Terry
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Brandon M. Terry | |
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| Born | Randallstown, Maryland, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Harvard College (AB)
Yale University (PhD) University of Oxford (MSc) |
| Awards | Sterling Prize, Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, Mellon-Mays Fellowship, Alain Locke Prize |
| Thesis | Which Way to Memphis?: Civil Rights in Historiography and Political Theory |
| Doctoral advisor | Seyla Benhabib |
Main interests | Political theory, African American political thought |
Brandon Michael Terry is a Baltimore-born American scholar, author, and political theorist. He is the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard University and co-director of the Institute on Policing, Incarceration, and Public Safety at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research. His research focuses on African American political thought, political theory, and the politics of race and inequality.
Early life and education
Brandon (Micheal) Terry was born and raised in Randallstown, Maryland. He is one of five children. His father worked as a driver for the American Red Cross, and his mother was a public-school social studies teacher.[1] Terry attended Maryland Western School of Technology.[2]
He was exposed to The Autobiography of Malcolm X at age nine, which influenced his intellectual and political development. Terry attended Harvard College, graduating magna cum laude with an AB in Government and African and African American Studies. At Harvard, he served as president of the Harvard Black Men’s Forum and wrote for The Harvard Crimson. He received numerous awards including the Mellon-Mays Fellowship and the Alain Locke Prize.[1]
Terry earned an MSc in Political Theory Research from the University of Oxford in 2006 and completed a PhD in Political Science and African American Studies at Yale University in 2012 with distinction. His dissertation was titled Which Way to Memphis?: Civil Rights in Historiography and Political Theory, supervised by Seyla Benhabib.
Academic career
Terry began his academic career as a Junior Prize Fellow in Economics, History, and Politics (2012–2015) before joining Harvard University as an Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies and Social Studies (2015–2022). In 2022, he was promoted to John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Social Sciences. He teaches courses on African American studies, political theory, and American politics.[3]
He serves as faculty adviser for the Black Men’s Forum and helped guide the construction of The Embrace, a bronze monument in Boston Common honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
Personal life
Terry grew up in a politically engaged family, where debates on race and politics were common. His early experiences in Baltimore, including witnessing racial and class inequalities, shaped his intellectual and political trajectory.
As a high school junior, Terry initially dismissed Ivy League letters of encouragement, but his uncle challenged him by offering to pay the $65 Harvard application fee—the same amount as a pair of Nike Air Force 1 sneakers—and promising to give him the same amount if he was admitted.[1]
Awards and honors
- University Distinction and Sterling Prize, Yale University
- Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship
- Michael von Clemm Fellowship, University of Oxford
- Mellon-Mays Fellowship
- Alain Locke Prize, Harvard College
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gibson, L. (2025-08-08). "A New Narrative of Civil Rights: Political philosopher Brandon Terry's vision of racial progress". Harvard Magazine. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
- ↑ "BCPS Staff Bulletin – Systemwide Job Fair Set for March 8!". Baltimore County Public Schools. 2023-02-23. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
- ↑ "Brandon Terry – Education". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
External links
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