Vanessa Nakate to Open Giving Black Conference 2026 With Climate Justice Keynote
2 weeks ago
United States Jelani Cobb is an esteemed writer, author, and educator, currently serving as the Dean and Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism at Columbia Journalism School. He formerly held positions as an associate professor of history and director of the Institute for African American Studies at the University of Connecticut.
Jelani Cobb serves as the Dean and Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism at Columbia Journalism School. He first joined the faculty in 2016 as a professor.
Jelani Cobb has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2015.
Jelani Cobb joined AJP's board of directors, bringing experience in journalism, education, and a vision for local nonprofit news.
Jelani Cobb moderated a conversation with four Black women leaders in nonprofit journalism at #NABJ25, an event hosted by Columbia Journalism School.
William Jelani Cobb was born William Anthony Cobb on August 21, 1969, in Queens, New York. His parents, who migrated from the American South, emphasized the importance of reading and learning in their family life. Cobb’s father, Willie Lee Cobb, an electrician with a third-grade education, taught him to write at an early age. He attended Jamaica High School before enrolling at Howard University in Washington, D.C. It took him seven years to complete his undergraduate degree due to financial constraints. During his time at Howard, Cobb started his professional writing career, contributing to periodicals like ‘One’ and later the ‘Washington City Paper,’ and ‘YSB’ magazine starting in 1993. Additionally, he became politically active, participating in an organization that took over Howard’s administration building in 1989. Around this period, he adopted the name ‘Jelani,’ meaning ‘powerful,’ to connect with African tradition. He earned his Ph.D. in American history from Rutgers University in May 2003, with David Levering Lewis as his supervisor.
Cobb’s career progressed through various academic and journalistic roles. He was an associate professor of history and director of the Institute for African American Studies at the University of Connecticut from 2012 to 2016. In 2016, he joined Columbia University as the Ira A. Lipman Professor of Journalism and became a staff writer at The New Yorker in 2015. His appointment as Dean of the Columbia Journalism School occurred in 2022. Cobb has specialized in post-Civil War African-American history, 20th-century American politics, and Cold War history. He has also taught at Rutgers and Spelman College. He has received fellowships from the Fulbright and Ford Foundations.
His publications include “The Substance of Hope: Barack Obama and the Paradox of Progress” (2010) and “To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic” (2007), which was a finalist for the 2007 National Award for Arts Writing. His collection “The Devil & Dave Chappelle and Other Essays” was published in the same year. Cobb’s articles and essays have appeared in prominent publications such as The Washington Post, The New Yorker, Essence, Vibe, Emerge, and The Progressive. He is also a featured commentator on National Public Radio, CNN, Al-Jazeera, and CBS News. In 2002, he published “The Essential Harold Cruse: A Reader,” a collection of previously unpublished writings by scholar Harold Cruse, which was a 2002 Notable Book of The Year by Black Issues Book Review. In 2018, he appeared as himself in the final episode of Marvel’s “Luke Cage” season 2. He is set to release “Three or More Is a Riot: Notes on How We Got Here: 2012-2025” in 2025.
Curious about our offerings or have inquiries? We're eager to assist!
Just complete the form, and we'll respond promptly.
