Historian, educator, and writer, Charlene J. Fletcher holds a Ph.D. in History from Indiana University, specializing in 19th century United States and African American history and gender studies.
Currently, Charlene is the ACLS Emerging Voices Postdoctoral Research Associate at Brown University’s Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice. Prior to attending IU, Charlene led a domestic violence/sexual assault program as well as a large reentry initiative in New York City, assisting women and men in their transition from incarceration to society and also served as a lecturer of Criminal Justice at LaGuardia Community College and an adjunct lecturer in Global and Historical Studies at Butler University.
Charlene’s research and forthcoming book explores the experiences of confined African-American women in Kentucky from Reconstruction to the Progressive Era, specifically illuminating the lives of confined Black women by examining places other than carceral locales as arenas of confinement, including mental health institutions and domestic spaces. She seeks to explore how these women both defied and defined confinement through their incarceration, interactions with public, social, and political entities of the period, as well as how they challenged ideas of race and femininity.
Charlene’s work is motivated by her personal and professional experiences — particularly her work with individuals and families impacted by domestic violence and incarceration — and these experiences continue to fuel her passion for her work today.
While serving as an editorial assistant for the American Historical Review, Charlene conducted several awesome interviews for the journal’s podcast, AHR Interview.
In partnership with the Louisville Free Public Library and Lean Into Louisville’s efforts to explore, discuss, and address histories of inequality, Charlene presented an interactive talk about family violence in 19th century domestic spaces and recounted the lives of Fannie Keys Harvey and Lila B. White, African American women who were incarcerated at the Kentucky Penitentiary after fighting back against their abusive families. Using their stories, Charlene reflected on acts of resistance and brings awareness to this dark chapter of history. The talk, 
