Sarah F. Derbew
Assistant professor of classics at Stanford University and author of Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity (Cambridge UP, 2022), specializing in ancient African studies and representations of Blackness in antiquity.
Best podcasts with Sarah F. Derbew
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Dec 4, 2025 • 1h 4min
Sarah F. Derbew, "Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity" (Cambridge UP, 2022)
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.
Dec 1, 2025 • 1h 4min
Sarah F. Derbew, "Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity" (Cambridge UP, 2022)
In this discussion, Sarah F. Derbew, an Assistant Professor of Classics at Stanford and author of Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity, delves into the complexities of Black representations in ancient Greek literature and art. She highlights the influence of Herodotus on her work, challenges traditional readings of imagery, and emphasizes the need for precise terminology. Derbew critiques modern frameworks that distort ancient understandings of race, while also exploring nuanced identities in texts like Aeschylus' Suppliants. This conversation uncovers the rich intersections of performance studies and ancient race representation.
