Dawson McCall

I'm a social historian of 20th Century Africa. My research explores the relationship between decolonization, nation-building, and transnationalism in late colonial and independent Kenya, especially as it relates to the histories of Kenyan schools and sports. I'm currently working on a book project entitled Run, Pray, Read:  Sports, Decolonization, and Nation-Building in a Kenyan High School, which explores the sports history of St. Patrick's High School, one of Kenya's most prominent secondary schools. I'm also currently creating a digital oral history archive documenting the global lives of Kenyan runners. I teach courses on African, African Diasporic, and Global Histories, as well as Historiography, while also co-chairing Loyola's Black Studies program. In addition to the history of Kenyan sports and schools, my interests include histories of music, food, religion, activism, and anywhere people get together to share important social experiences and find joy and purpose in their lives. In a former life, I was a high school history teacher and coach.