New Books in History Sarah F. Derbew, "Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity" (Cambridge UP, 2022)
Dec 4, 2025
Sarah F. Derbew, an assistant professor of classics at Stanford, dives into her groundbreaking work on Blackness in Greek antiquity. She discusses her journey from studying Latin and Greek to blending critical race theory with ancient texts. The conversation reveals how Greek literature and material culture depicted Black identities and challenges misrepresentations in modern academia. Notably, Derbew critiques museum curation practices, analyzes Aeschylus' portrayal of Black Egyptian women, and emphasizes the complexity of Black identities in historical contexts.
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Early Language Training Shaped Her Career
- Sarah Derbew describes how early exposure to Latin at age 12 and intensive Greek study shaped her classics career.
- She credits Prep for Prep and private schooling with opening paths into ancient languages and graduate study.
Blackness As Performed Across Stages
- Derbew frames Blackness as a performed, multistage phenomenon across genres and media.
- She uses selective case studies instead of comprehensive cataloging to reveal varied performances of Blackness.
Museum Layout Sparked The Art History Angle
- Derbew recounts museum visits at the British Museum that sparked her art-historical chapters.
- Seeing Africa placed in different floors prompted her to interrogate curation and object context.
