Yelana Sims joins USC’s Department of History after teaching African American Studies at Penn State Abington. The Spartanburg, South Carolina, native earned her doctorate in African American Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research explores the intersections of race, gender and technology, with a focus on how Black women engaged with and responded to emerging technologies.

We spoke with her about her research, her warm welcome at USC and her love of knitting.

What first drew you to your main area of expertise? What do you love about it?

I’ve long been interested in everyday technologies — like the landline or film camera — and how they became part of daily life. Combining that with my study of Black women’s history allowed me to explore the connections between technology, race and gender.

How would you describe your research to someone who hasn’t studied this field before? What do you hope the impact of your research will be?

I study how technologies historically drew on racial and gendered imagery to legitimize themselves and how Black women responded. For example, the film Birth of a Nation used racist caricatures to showcase the “accuracy” of film technology. My work highlights these connections and their impact on Black women’s relationship to technology.

Tell us about your approach to teaching. Do you have a favorite topic or class to teach? What do you hope your students will take away from your classes?

I enjoy teaching upper-level seminars and courses on African American, women and urban history. I want students to see that marginalized histories are deeply interconnected with what they already know and to leave with a richer sense of history’s complexity.

How are you finding the USC community so far? What is something new you’ve discovered about life as a Gamecock or here in the Columbia area?

The USC community has been wonderful. I’ve been exploring new restaurants and coffee shops, and I recently discovered Main Street Bakery — my new happy place.

Tell us a bit more about you! What do you enjoy doing in your free time? What’s one fun or unexpected fact about you?

I love reading, cooking, traveling and recently got back into knitting. A fun fact is that I once curated an art exhibit while living in western Massachusetts.