LaShawn D. Harris - Sex Workers, Psychics and Numbers Runners

Lashaun Harris, an associate professor at Michigan State University, specializes in African American, women's, and U.S. history. Her research focuses on the public and private lives of African American women, particularly in labor history and the urban informal economy. She examines how women created economic opportunities through various forms of labor, including sex work, psychic services, and gambling. Harris highlights notable women like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, who became business leaders and community influencers. Her work sheds light on the unfamiliar stories of African American women in the 1920s and 1930s.

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