marilyn m. thomas-houston is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and African American Studies at the University of Florida. She received her Ph.D. in 1997 from NYU in Cultural Anthropology and a Graduate Certificate in Culture and Media during the same year. In addition to a M. Phil and M.A. in Anthropology from NYU, she also holds a M.A. in Southern Studies and a B.F.A in Theatre Arts from the University of Mississippi. Professional memberships include the American Anthropological Association, the Society for Visual Anthropology (Executive Board 1999-2006) the Association of Black Anthropologists, the Society for Applied Anthropology, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, and the National Council for Black Studies. Thomas-Houston and Daryl Michael Scott are the founding Editors of Fire!!!: The Multimedia Journal of Black Studies--a new peer-reviewed journal published by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

Her broad life experiences inform her research interests. Her youthful years during the Civil Rights Movement developed her concern for equal rights, social justice, and social inequality. As a young adult making her way as a performer, her interests expanded to include the ways in which the arts are vehicles for for cross-cultural understandings and social change. And, as a non-traditional student the application of knowledge for the purpose of improving the social condition and quality of people of color was added to the mix. This has led her to focus on issues of identity within Black communities and how diverse identites affect the cohesiveness of that community and problematize social action. Public housing policies, immiment domain, lack of affordable housing and the problems faced by the poor, women, and people of color experience as these policies and practices are implemented are also of major interest to thomas-houston. Using technology in innovative ways to inform the general public about all of the above concerns is important to thomas-houston as she works to bridge the "town-gown" divide and communicate across cultures.

Dr. thomas-houston combines interdisciplinary training, her performance experiences, and a history of activism to form her pedagogical approach to teaching the Black experience. A big proponent of community service, thomas-houston has founded the non-profit organization, For My People Productions, Inc., a not-for-profit organization designed to pair academics with community organizations in order to address pressing community problems.

thomas-houston came to academic life after a career as a professional performer. Among a few of her performing credits are:original cast member of the Chelsea Theatre Center's Off Broadway production of Slaveship directed by Gilbert Moses and written by Imamu Baraka; a member of two New York City theatre ensembles (The Theatre for the Forgotten and the Al Fann Theatrical Ensemble); and seven years as lead singer for a popular female group.