Award-winning historian Kerri Greenidge is pushing back against criticism of her scholarship, arguing that the intense scrutiny surrounding her work reflects a broader pattern of attacks on Black women in academia. Her critics, meanwhile, contend that the concerns center on factual accuracy and citation practices, not her identity.
The dispute has drawn renewed attention after The New York Times detailed the controversy surrounding Greenidge’s 2022 book, The Grimkes, which was initially celebrated as a major contribution to the study of a prominent slaveholding family whose members later became active in the abolitionist movement.
Upon its release, the book received widespread praise. Publishers Weekly named it one of the year’s best books, and the American Historical Association awarded Greenidge the Joan Kelly Memorial Prize, which recognizes outstanding work in women’s history and feminist theory.
That acclaim began to unravel after historians raised questions about the book’s sourcing and factual claims. According to The New York Times, the controversy has since been linked to Greenidge’s departure from her position as a tenured associate professor in Tufts University’s Department of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora, as well as the apparent disappearance of the book from publisher W.W. Norton’s catalog.
Among the first scholars to publicly challenge the work was Myra Glenn, a retired professor of American history at Elmira College. Glenn said she encountered numerous problems while reviewing the book for an academic journal in 2024.
“I said, ‘Where is she getting this?’” Glenn recalled. “Boy, it became a major problem.”
Her published review was sharply critical, arguing that Greenidge repeatedly made claims without sufficient supporting evidence.
“All too often Greenidge lacks the evidence to substantiate many of her major claims,” Glenn wrote. “Her work is also riddled with factual errors and repeatedly omits needed endnotes.”
Glenn also questioned Greenidge’s citations, stating that documents the author claimed were housed at the University of Michigan could not be found there.
Greenidge has strongly rejected allegations that she fabricated material or committed plagiarism. She told The New York Times she believes the controversy reflects broader treatment of Black women scholars.
“I am heartbroken that a field I have given my life to can treat me this way,” Greenidge said. “The attack on Black women academics is real.”
She also denied the most serious accusations outright.
“I have never plagiarized anything in my life,” she said. “I have never fabricated anything.”
At the same time, Greenidge acknowledged that some citation mistakes may exist.
“Are there citations that were misattributed? Probably,” she said.
Tufts University has largely declined to discuss Greenidge’s employment status but confirmed that concerns about The Grimkes emerged shortly after its publication. University spokesperson Patrick Collins said Tufts became aware in December 2022 of criticism alleging the book contained factual errors and failed to properly credit another scholar’s work.
Huh. Author accused of fabrication and plagiarism claims she’s the victim of discrimination against black women. https://t.co/fNiqveEj8Y
— Bob Lonsberry (@BobLonsberry) July 10, 2026
According to Collins, the university commissioned an external peer review conducted by historians specializing in American history.
“The university initiated a thorough peer review involving a panel of external scholars of American history which identified multiple errors of fact and citation,” Collins said.
He added that Tufts notified publisher W.W. Norton of the review’s findings as part of its commitment to research integrity.
“The university proactively moved to correct the public record by informing publisher W.W. Norton of the peer review findings,” Collins said.
The book no longer appears to be available through W.W. Norton’s website.
Greenidge has questioned the origins of the university’s investigation, saying it was prompted by a white woman against whom she had previously sought a restraining order. Tufts disputes any suggestion that its review process was biased.
“The independent review by outside experts in the field was fair, fact-based, thorough, and objective,” Collins said. “We stand by the review and strongly deny any allegations of bias.”
The scrutiny has not been limited to The Grimkes. Greenidge’s earlier book, Black Radical, published in 2019, earned significant recognition, including the Mark Lynton History Prize awarded by Columbia Journalism School and Harvard University’s Nieman Foundation for Journalism.
Stephen Fox, author of a 1970 biography of civil rights activist William Monroe Trotter, said he also encountered problems when examining Greenidge’s citations in that work.
“It seems well done, except when you look at the footnotes,” Fox said, explaining that he was unable to locate material where Greenidge’s citations indicated it should be found.
“I started to think maybe it wasn’t just sloppy,” Fox added. “I think it’s something deeper.”
