Renate Simson

Dr. Renate (Rennie) Marie Simson is an American author and professor of African-American literature and writing. Her work has been influential in African American literature and identity studies. Her articles focus on works of the 19th century African American Writers. Her most influential work has been her ground breaking essay on Black women’s sexuality and identity, “The Afro-American Female: The Historical Context of the Construction of Sexual Identity," that deals with the invisibility of black women in history and has influenced the works of writers that deal with feminism and identities like Michael Hames-Garcia, and Darlene Clark Hine.^[1][2][3] Her work claimed that victimized black women often avoided intimacy altogether which affected their sexual identity causing them to become self-reliant.^[4] She worked as the English department at SUNY Morrisville for several years. Simson has published more than 30 articles and chapters and presented at over 50 conferences throughout in the United States and Austria.^[5] She also pioneered a study abroad program focusing on the Austrian African Diaspora in Austria with the University of Graz.^[6] She currently works as the department chair at the Department of African American Studies at Syracuse University.

Publications

Books

• Will the Real America Please Stand Up - 2008

Book Chapters

• The “The Afro-American Female: The Historical Context of the Construction of Sexual Identity," Power and Politics of Desire: The Politics of Sexuality
• Masterpieces of African American literature
• African American Autobiographies

Papers

• Afro-American Literature of the 19th Century: A Focus for the 80's - Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Northeast Regional Conference on English ^[7]
• The Unsung Past : Afro-American Women Writers of 19th Century - Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Council of Teachers of English (69th, San Francisco, CA, November 22–24, 1980) ^[8]
• Politics and the race issue as presented in the works of Afro American women writers of the 19th century (Afro scholar working papers) - 1982

References