Sociologist · Cultural Studies Scholar · Professor, Language, Literacy, and Culture Doctoral Program — University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Améfrica Press

Sociologist and cultural studies scholar of the African Diaspora in the Americas. Author of the award-recognized Cuban Underground Hip Hop: Black Thoughts, Black Revolution, Black Modernity (University of Texas Press). Director of the documentary Afro-Feminismos en Cuba: Perspectivas de la Habana. Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Améfrica Press, a press connecting the Afro-Americas through translation.

Working across the United States, Cuba, and Brazil — in English, Spanish, and Portuguese — Dr. Saunders studies how the African Diaspora uses the arts as a tool for social change and the decolonization of systems of thinking and knowing in the Americas.

Now booking guest lectures, keynotes, and workshops

Dr. Saunders is currently accepting speaking and consulting invitations for the 2026–2028 academic year. Visit Speaking & Engagements to learn more, or reach out through the Contact page.