Sherman Criner

Sherman Criner is a PhD Candidate in the Department of History. He graduated last spring with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Public Policy from Duke University. Born and raised in Wilmington, North Carolina, his research investigates whether nineteenth century race relations pre-figured political coalitions at Reconstruction era state constitutional conventions. When not studying his home state’s past, Sherman splits his time writing about education policy for the Raleigh-based think tank, the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal.

Sherman’s honors thesis at Duke, awarded the Raymond Gavins Prize, recovered the life and early political thought of James Henry Harris, the leading black delegate at North Carolina’s 1868 constitutional convention.