R. A. Lawson(Ph.D., Vanderbilt 2003) is a cultural historian who has written on musical, visual, and theatrical arts. He is also a filmmaker, publishing editor, historical tour leader, and public speaker.

His signature work is Jim Crow’s Counterculture: The Blues and Black Southerners, 1890-1945 (LSU Press), which won the Gulf South Historical Association’s Thomason Prize for book of the year in 2011. More recently, he is the co-creator and co-producer of the historical short film series, History in Your Backyardand is co-producer and historian for the docu-series, The Boatbuilders.You can also find him as a local guide for the Boston Revolutionary Story Tour.

Recent research and pedagogical projects explore the cultural history of medicine in the U.S.—work that was funded by the National Endowment of the Humanities. Lawson won the Hicks-Kennedy Award for service to the New England History Teachers Association for his work on the editorial board of the New England Journal of History. He recently earned the Excellence in Teaching Award from the National Society of Leadership and Success for his contributions in and out of the classroom—the third pedagogical award of his career. He is professor of History and Director of the Honors Program at Dean College, as well as Associate Editor of the New England Journal of History.

He lives in Bellingham, Mass., and Ossineke, Mich.