Jordan Cuby is a doctoral student in the Department of Africology and African American Studies at Temple University, where his research focuses on the intersection of historiography and ancestral memory. Driven by a commitment to restorative justice within the archive, his work seeks to unearth and document the "forgotten stories" of African Americans that have been marginalized or erased by traditional historical narratives. By centering African agency and consciousness, Jordan aims to challenge the structural silences that often define the American historical record.

His current research project utilizes an Afrocentric genealogical approach to trace lineage and community formation among enslaved and free African populations in the West. Rather than viewing genealogy as a mere list of names, Jordan treats it as a powerful tool for mapping resistance, kinship, and survival across generations. Through the meticulous examination of census records, oral histories, and neglected primary sources, he is constructing a more nuanced framework for understanding how African American communities maintained identity and legacy despite systemic attempts at erasure.

Beyond the archive, Jordan Cuby is dedicated to making the historical record of the African experience in the West, accessible to the broader public. He believes that uncovering these hidden legacies is essential for community healing and the reclamation of cultural heritage and ancestral memory. Prior to pursuing his PhD, Jordan earned his Master’s degree in Public Health from the City University of New York (CUNY), where he first began exploring how the social determinants of health directly impact the methodologies of ancestral memory work in the West. His ultimate goal is to contribute to a transformative historiography that honors the complexity, dignity, and endurance of the African American experience, both domestically and throughout the African diaspora.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Nilgun Anadolu Okur