Shay Dawson, the 2022-2024 NWHM U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Predoctoral Fellow in Gender Studies, is a current Museum Studies graduate student at Johns Hopkins University. In the duration of her studies, she is on the Museum Education and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program tracks. Professionally, she is interested in the ways museums & cultural heritage sites can facilitate community & foster empathy, as well as the function of archival documents as educational tools.  

These interests are supported by her undergraduate endeavors, as Shay holds a B.A. in African American & African Diaspora studies and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality studies from American University, which speaks greatly to her passion for highlighting marginalized realities & narratives. A few areas of focus Shay enjoys researching are Black womanhood, spirituality, & Black queer identity in American Slavery.