After a nationwide search, the National Humanities Center (NHC) has appointed Dr. Blair LM Kelley as its new president and director. The appointment is seen as a significant moment for the NHC, which aims to continue its five-decade legacy of promoting humanities research and education.
Dr. Kelley joins the NHC with an extensive background in academia and leadership. She was previously the Joel R. Williamson Distinguished Professor of Southern Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also directed the Center for the Study of the American South and co-directed Southern Futures. Her career includes 20 years at North Carolina State University, where she held roles such as associate dean of interdisciplinary affairs and partnerships.
Her scholarly work focuses on working-class African Americans and social movements, connecting historical narratives about race, work, and activism to current issues. Her book “Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class” (2023) has won several awards, including the 2024 Brooklyn Library Book Award and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Book Award.
Dr. Kelley is recognized for her commentary on platforms like NPR’s Marketplace and MSNBC’s All in with Chris Hayes, among others. She has contributed to publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Rishi Jaitly, interim chair of the NHC’s board of trustees, expressed enthusiasm about Kelley’s appointment: “We are delighted to welcome Dr. Blair Kelley…her commitment to—and conviction around—inspired leadership make her the ideal person to build on the Center’s remarkable legacy.”
Kelley expressed her excitement about joining NHC: “I am deeply honored…to join the National Humanities Center as its next president.” She aims to enhance fellowship programs, support emerging scholars, and advocate for humanities’ role in addressing societal challenges.
Kelley succeeds J. Porter Durham Jr., who served as interim president after Robert D. Newman’s retirement in 2024. She is noted as being the first woman, person of color, and former NHC Fellow to lead the organization.
Kelley holds a BA from the University of Virginia in history and African American studies and received her MA and PhD from Duke University in history with certificates in African American studies and women’s studies.
The National Humanities Center is a nonprofit dedicated to advancing humanistic discovery and fostering community among humanities practitioners from its base in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
