Michael Navas

Michael X. Navas
History Major
Mellon Mays Fellow

mna%76as001@citymail.cuny .e%64u" rel="nofollow"> mnavas001@citymail.cuny.edu

Michael X. Navas is a junior at the City College of New York, pursuing a BA/MA in the History Department. His topics of interest revolve around modernity, intersectionality, race, human rights, and the legacy of colonialism. Overall, he is devoted to understanding modernity in the United States by examining the colonial legacies of the 17th and 18th centuries and their influence on the struggle for marital rights among African American women in the 20th century, their broader fight for racial equality, and their significant contributions to advancing human rights and modernity. Along with being a full-time student, he also works in a middle school as a special education paraprofessional, where he has discovered a deep passion for education and pedagogy. Michael’s overarching goal with his research is to go beyond academia and into the public sector, by developing a curriculum and expanding on pedagogical methods for K-12 Social Studies classes, impacting policy-making decisions surrounding education. He is currently working on his project titled “Unveiling Colonial Legacies: African American Women's Fight for Marital Rights, Racial Equality, and Human Rights in the United States, 1865-1968.” Upon graduating with BA/MA, Michael plans to pursue a PhD in History and/or Education and continue advancing his research.