Raymond Arsenault is the John Hope Franklin Professor of Southern History emeritus at the University of South Florida. A specialist in the political, social, environmental, and civil rights history of the American South, he has taught at numerous academic institutions around the world. One of the nation’s leading civil rights historians, he is the author or editor of twelve books, including several highly acclaimed studies. A long-time community activist and public historian, Arsenault has consulted for national and regional museums and organizations, including the Carter G. Woodson African-American History of Florida Museum, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, among others. During his long career, he has been honored with numerous civil rights, human rights, and social justice awards. In 2012 the Florida Historical Society presented Arsenault with the Dorothy Dodd Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2019 the Florida Humanities Council honored him with its Lifetime Achievement in Writing Award. A native of Cape Cod, Arsenault was educated at Princeton University and Brandeis University, where he received his Ph.D. in 1981. He’ll be appearing as part of the Florida Book Award non-fiction winners panel at this year’s Word of South.
Raymond Arsenault
