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Biography
Jasmine Nichole Cobb is a visual and cultural historian. She is Professor of African & African American Studies and of Art, Art History and Visual Studies at Duke University. Cobb is the author three books including Picture Freedom: Remaking Black Visuality in the Early Nineteenth Century (NYUP 2015), African American Literature in Transition, 1800-1830 (Cambridge UP 2021) which is an edited volume; and most recently, New Growth: The Art and Texture of Black Hair (Duke UP 2022). In addition to scholarly essays for Public Culture and American Literary History, her media appearances include, ABC news, the Tavis Smiley Show, Essence magazine, the Boston Globe’s Emancipator and “Left of Black.” Currently, she is at work on The Pictorial Life of Harriet Tubman, a visual history of the abolitionist, from the middle nineteenth century through the present.
Press Kit
Talk Abstacts
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Unveiling the Afro: Repression, Liberation, and the Visual Culture of Black Hair
Step into a captivating exploration of the Afro hairstyle, an enduring icon of Black liberation aesthetics. Dr. Jasmine Cobb unveils a mixed-media archive, delving into photojournalism and print advertisements, to scrutinize the Afro's association with "freedom." However, this talk goes beyond the surface, dissecting the repression of Black hair in public culture and visual representation. From the historical legacy of slavery to the nuances of racial capitalism, Dr. Cobb untangles the complex web of signification surrounding "natural hair." This journey traverses the realms of Black visual culture and capitalism, shifting scholarly focus from entrepreneurship to a profound question of violence.
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Unsanctioned Histories: Archives, Images, and the Evolving Narrative of Race in the United States
Dr. Jasmine Cobb offers an insightful exploration of the intricate relationship between archives, images, and the ongoing narrative of race in the United States. From the 19th century to the present, this talk examines controversies surrounding images to provoke thought on how public narratives about Black Americans have been shaped and reshaped over time.
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Capturing Harriet Tubman: Exploring Her Image Across Time and Mediums
Join Dr. Jasmine Cobb in an immersive exploration of Harriet Tubman's iconic image. From her 19th-century portrait sessions to contemporary 21st-century art, this talk delves into the challenges of understanding Tubman's visual legacy, considering the limited archival records left by her own hand. Dr. Cobb will unravel the public fascination with Tubman's image, examining its evolution both during her lifetime and in posthumous illustrations of the activist.