Individual Scholar Page

Personal Info

Photo

About Me

I am a historian specialising in 20th Century Black radicalism, with a PhD from the University of Hertfordshire, and an MA Honours Undergraduate and Masters degree in History from the University of Dundee.

My PhD research concerns the ideological connections between Black Radical Women of the early 20th Century and the Black Power Movement of the latter half of the 20th Century. I am interested primarily in the transfer of tactics and ideology, as well as the interpersonal and intergenerational exchanges between activists.

I have also served in numerous Black activist organisations in the UK. I was a Coordinator of the Young Historians Project for more than three years, and a member of the History Matters editorial committee. Recently, I have undertaken a new project funded by the Institute for Social Research Foundation that seeks to create a lasting network for Black Historians in Britain, who are increasingly under political attack at institutions across Britain. This is a natural evolution of my organising work. It is a new venture that seeks to address the lack of Black history courses across the UK by bolstering the academics and communities who benefit from access to, and knowledge of, the field.

Alongside winning Bloomsbury’s first-ever Academic Writing Fellowship, in 2024 I was also the recipient of the Olivette Otele Award hosted by the Institute for Historical Research. I am regularly invited to speak at academic and public venues, which in the last few years have included traditional conferences across the country, as well as public history events held by Black community organisers, and trade union-adjacent events aimed at fusing historical research with tangible activism. Through my research, writing, and advocacy, I aim to illuminate the contributions of Black radical women and inspire new generations to engage critically with history.

I am currently working on my first book, title pending, which expands on my PhD thesis titled: ‘Black Women Radicals and Networks of Transnational Resistance in the 20th Century.’

Recent Publications

 

In the last 3 years, I have written for many outlets both academically, and for the public, as I believe historical research should be as accessible as possible to all. My publications all discuss my research on Black radical women, with a focus on their transnational organising throughout the 20^th century. My latest, and most significant article is a groundbreaking analysis of Claudia Jones in Claudia Jones and Black Power: A Close Reading of the West Indian Gazette and Afro-Asian Caribbean News.[1] This piece offers a new perspective on Claudia Jones and her contributions to Black Power in Britain and was the most-read article of 2024 in the American Communist History journal. Additionally, I have written for broader audiences in outlets including The Conversation[2], History Matters Journal[3], and The House Magazine[4], utilising my historical research to respond to the contemporary moment.

 

Outside of finding my voice as a writer throughout my PhD, I have also worked on multiple fronts to hone my craft as an editor and as a dedicated scholar-activist. In the last two years, I have edited two book collections[5] for the esteemed scholar-activist, Professor Gerald Horne, who is a titan in the field of Black radical history in the United States. We have additionally co-written multiple book chapters and articles together, with more due to be released in the United States later this year.[6]

[1] Tionne Alliyah Parris, Claudia Jones and Black Power: A Close Reading of The West Indian Gazette and Afro-Asian Caribbean News, American Communist History Journal, May 2024.

[2] Tionne Alliyah Parris, ‘Harry Belafonte: a singer and actor but an activist at heart’, The Conversation, April 2023.

[3] Tionne Alliyah Parris, ‘Claudia Jones: A Life in Exile (Review)’, History Matters Journal, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Autumn 2021). ‘Claudia Jones & Black Radicalism in Britain’, History Matters Journal, Vol 2, No.3, Autumn 2022. ‘In Memory of Roy Sawh (1934-2023)’, History Matters Journal, Vol 3, No.2, Autumn 2023.

[4] Tionne Alliyah Parris, ‘Government needs to put housing and poverty at the top of its agenda’, The House Magazine, Politics Home, October 2022.

[5] I Dare Say: A Gerald Horne Reader, Gerald Horne, edited by Tionne Alliyah Parris, OR Books, January 2024. African Americans and A New History of the USA, Gerald Horne, compiled by Tionne Alliyah Parris, International Publishers, January 2025.

[6] Gerald Horne and Tionne Parris, “Negro Women Can Think and Speak and Write!” Jones’ Speech to the Court Before Her Sentencing, Internationalism in Practice: Claudia Jones and the ‘Bestial’ War on Korea, Iskra Books, February 2024.

Media Coverage

Social Media

@tionneparris

Country Focus

United States

Expertise by Geography

United Kingdom, United States

Expertise by Chronology

20th century, 21st century

Expertise by Topic

Capitalism, Colonialism, Gender, Government, Politics, Public History, Race, Rebellion & Revolution, Women