Taure Brown

Taurean “Taure” Brown is a sociologist, educator, and community organizer from Kinston, North Carolina. A Ph.D. candidate at North Carolina State University, his research examines media, racial ideology, and political development, with a dissertation titled Faking the Funk: Hegemonic Antiracism During the Movement for Black Lives. Before entering academia, Brown organized around housing justice, education equity, and community safety—experiences that continue to shape his research and teaching. He has used social media, public writing, and public speaking to spark critical conversations on racial, gender, and class injustice. His work has been featured in outlets such as The Washington Post and The Atlantic, and he has delivered lectures and keynote addresses at universities across the country. Whether in the classroom or in community spaces, Brown is guided by a commitment to collective liberation and to helping others develop the tools to critically understand and challenge structural inequality. He currently serves as Director of the James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements. Prior to this role, he held academic appointments in the sociology departments at Southeastern Louisiana University and Elon University.