Audrey Smedley

Audrey Smedley (1930 – October 14, 2020) was an American social anthropologist and professor emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University in anthropology and African-American studies.

Audrey Smedley
Born	1930 (1930) Detroit, Michigan
Died	October 14, 2020 (2020-10-15) (aged 89) Beltsville, Maryland
Nationality	American
Alma mater	University of Michigan (BA, MA) University of Manchester (PhD)
Occupation	Anthropologist

Early life and education

Smedley received her B.A. and M.A. in history and anthropology from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in social anthropology from the University of Manchester in the UK, based on field research in northern Nigeria. She taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses in social anthropology, African societies and cultures, the history of anthropology, and anthropological theory.

Career

Smedley wrote on the history of anthropology and the origin and evolution of the idea of human races since the late 1970s. Her research interests also included comparative slavery, human ecological adaptation, and the roles of women in patrilineal societies.

External links

• Faculty page
• PBS interview for the program "Race: the Power of an Illusion".
• Audrey Smedley (2007). "Welcome to Encyclopædia Britannica's Guide to Black History". race. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 2007-12-30.