# Tomiko Brown-Nagin Dean, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study Daniel P.S. Paul Professor of Constitutional Law Professor of History ![Dean Tomiko Brown-Nagin. Photo by Kris Snibbe Harvard Staff Photographer](/sites/g/files/omnuum4421/files/styles/hwp_4_5__320x400/public/history/files/tomiko_brown_nagin_radcliffe_by_kris_snibbe_harvard_staff_photographer_0.jpg?itok=os5RqJ9g) location\_on Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, 10 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 smartphone [617-495-8602](tel:617-495-8602) email laptop\_windows [Personal Website](https://sites.harvard.edu/tomikobrownnagin/) laptop\_windows [Radcliffe Profile](https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/people/tomiko-brown-nagin-leadership) laptop\_windows [Harvard Law School Profile](https://hls.harvard.edu/faculty/directory/10116/Brown-Nagin) Tomiko Brown-Nagin is dean of [Harvard Radcliffe Institute](https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/), one of the world’s leading centers for interdisciplinary research across the humanities, sciences, social sciences, arts, and professions. She is also the [Daniel P.S. Paul Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard Law School](https://hls.harvard.edu/faculty/directory/10116/Brown-Nagin) and a [professor of history at Harvard University](/people/tomiko-brown-nagin). An award-winning legal historian and an expert in constitutional law and education law and policy, she is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Law Institute, and the American Philosophical Society; a fellow of the American Bar Foundation; a distinguished lecturer for the Organization of American Historians; and a member of the board of directors of *ProPublica*. Brown-Nagin has published articles and book chapters on a wide range of topics, including the Supreme Court’s equal protection jurisprudence, civil rights law and history, the Affordable Care Act, and education reform. She is a contributing editor to *POLITICO Magazine* as well as a frequent lecturer and media commentator. Brown-Nagin’s latest book, [*Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality* (Pantheon, 2022)](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/563298/civil-rights-queen-by-tomiko-brown-nagin/), explores the life and times of the pathbreaking lawyer, politician, and judge. Her book [*Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement* (Oxford University Press, 2011)](https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Dissent-Atlanta-History-Movement/dp/0199932018) won a 2012 Bancroft Prize in American History, among other honors. In 2019, Brown-Nagin was appointed chair of the [Presidential Committee on Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery](https://legacyofslavery.harvard.edu/), which is anchored at the Radcliffe Institute. The Committee issued a landmark [report](https://legacyofslavery.harvard.edu/report) detailing the University’s direct, financial, and intellectual ties to slavery, which resulted in Harvard’s commitment of $100 million to redress harms to descendant communities in the United States and in the Caribbean. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ For media inquiries, journalists should contact Mac Daniel, associate director of communications and senior editor, 617-495-8116, [mac\_daniel@radcliffe.harvard.edu](mailto:mac_daniel@radcliffe.harvard.edu) \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ [Opinion: Ketanji Brown Jackson Is the Beginning, Not the End, of This Story](https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/06/opinions/judge-jackson-supreme-court-future-opportunity-brown-nagin/index.html) (CNN, 4/6/22) [Constance Baker Motley, Civil Rights Queen, Paved the Way for Ketanji Brown Jackson](https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/books/a39583966/constance-baker-motley-ketanji-brown-jackson/) (Oprah Daily, 4/1/22) [Examining 2 Days of Senate Confirmation Hearings for Biden's Supreme Court Nominee](https://www.npr.org/2022/03/23/1088169732/examining-2-days-of-senate-confirmation-hearings-for-bidens-supreme-court-nomine) (NPR, 3/23/22) [The Right to Counsel Shouldn’t Be Controversial](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/03/ketanji-brown-jackson-public-defender-constance-baker-motley.html) (*Slate*, 3/21/22) [This Black Woman Could Have Served on the Supreme Court Decades Ago. She Has Some Lessons for Ketanji Brown Jackson.](https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/02/25/supreme-court-justice-black-woman-constance-baker-motley-ketanji-brown-jackson-00011636) (*Politico*, 2/25/22) [Biden Picks Ketanji Brown Jackson as Supreme Court Nominee](https://www.npr.org/2022/02/25/1083180736/biden-picks-ketanji-brown-jackson-as-supreme-court-nominee) (NPR, 2/25/22) [A Black Lawyer Who Dismantled Barriers, for Herself and Many Others](https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/02/25/black-lawyer-who-dismantled-barriers-herself-many-others/) (*Washington Post*, 2/25/22) [Often Overlooked, Civil Rights Advocate Constance Baker Motley Gets Her Due](https://www.npr.org/2022/02/16/1081108548/often-overlooked-civil-rights-advocate-constance-baker-motley-gets-her-due) (NPR, 2/16/22) [A Black Woman on the High Court Is a Good Start. But Representation Has Limits.](https://www.npr.org/2022/02/09/1078933311/black-woman-supreme-court-justice) (NPR, 2/9/22) [The "Double-edged Sword" of Being a Black First](https://www.npr.org/2022/02/01/1077304913/the-double-edged-sword-of-being-a-black-first) (*Code Switch* on NPR, 2/2/22) [Charting the Path of a "Civil Rights Queen](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/01/radcliffe-dean-shares-story-of-civil-rights-pioneer/)" (*Harvard Gazette*, 1/31/22) [Radcliffe Dean Discusses Book Celebrating Life of Civil Rights Lawyer Constance Baker Motley](https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/1/31/bakermotley-booktalk/) (*Harvard Crimson*, 1/31/22) [This Black Woman Judge Laid the Groundwork for Those Who Would Follow](https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/27/us/constance-baker-motley-race-deconstructed-newsletter/index.html) (CNN, 1/28/22) ["Civil Rights Queen," The Story of a Brave and Brilliant Trailblazer](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/26/books/review-civil-rights-queen-constance-baker-motley-tomiko-brown-nagin.html) (*New York Times*, 1/26/22) [Rescuing MLK and His Children’s Crusade](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/01/rescuing-the-civil-rights-movement-and-children-of-birmingham/) (*Harvard Gazette*, 1/13/22) ["A Towering Figure" in American Law, Harvard Professor Lani Guinier Dies at 71](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/01/08/metro/towering-figure-american-law-harvard-professor-lani-guinier-dies-71/) (*Boston Globe*, 1/8/22) [Both Sides Now](https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2022/01/features-tomiko-brown-nagin) (*Harvard Magazine*, 1/1/22) [What 2021 Taught Us about the Fight for Racial Justice](https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2021/12/us/race-equality-reflections-2021/) (CNN, 12/16/21) [Floyd's Death Leads to Disinformation about Black Lives Matter Movement](https://www.npr.org/2021/05/25/1000042993/floyds-death-leads-to-disinformation-about-black-lives-matter-movement) (NPR, 5/25/21) ["It Would Be Glorious": Hopes High for Biden to Nominate First Black Woman to Supreme Court](https://www.theguardian.com/law/2021/apr/20/supreme-court-joe-biden-black-female-justice) (*The* *Guardian*, 4/20/21) [Diversity Expanding within the Growing Black American Population, New Data Show](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/25/metro/diversity-expanding-within-growing-black-american-population-new-data-show/) (*Boston Globe*, 3/25/21) ["The Rule of Law Is at Stake": Harvard Law School Faculty Weigh In On Impeachment](https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/1/13/hls-profs-second-impeachment/) (*Harvard Crimson*, 1/13/21) [After a Hard Election, the Real Work Begins, Say Analysts and Scholars](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/11/harvard-lessons-from-a-tough-election/) (*Harvard Gazette*, 11/8/20) [Hard Lessons from a Tough Election](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/11/scholars-and-analysts-reflect-on-lessons-learned/) (*Harvard Gazette*, 11/5/20) [In a Close Election, Some Black Americans See a Clear Winner: Racism](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/11/04/metro/close-election-some-black-americans-see-clear-winner-racism/) (*Boston Globe*, 11/4/20) [Trump’s Nomination of Coney Barrett to SCOTUS Draws Mixed Reviews from Law School Faculty](https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/9/30/scotus-nomination-reactions/) (*Harvard Crimson*, 9/30/20) [How Amy Coney Barrett Would Reshape the Court — And the Country](https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/09/26/amy-barrett-scotus-legal-experts-422028) (*Politico*, 9/26/20) [Legal Experts Say Supreme Court Ruling on Trump Financial Records Will Have Far-reaching Effect](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/07/09/metro/legal-experts-say-scotus-ruling-trump-tax-returns-will-have-far-reaching-impact/) (*Boston Globe*, 7/9/20) [A Renewed Focus on Slavery](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/11/harvard-initiative-to-deepen-study-of-its-historical-ties-to-slavery/) (*Harvard Gazette*, 11/22/19) [Brown-Nagin on Her Own Path and Radcliffe’s](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/11/radcliffe-dean-discusses-her-priorities-for-the-institute/) (*Harvard Gazette*, 11/13/19) [Brown-Nagin Named Radcliffe Dean](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/radcliffe-dean-announced/) (*Harvard Gazette*, 4/26/18) - ## Faculty [Core Faculty](/faculty/core-faculty) - ## Last Initial (Faculty) [B](/first-letter-last-name/b) [N](/first-letter-last-name/n) - ## Geographic Region [United States](/region-study/united-states) - ## Theme and Methodology [Constitutional History](/theme/constitutional-history) [Education](/theme/education) [Historiography](/theme/historiography) [Law](/theme/law) [Politics](/theme/politics) [Social History](/theme/social-history) - ## Time Period [20th Century](/time-period/20th-century)