Dr. Selamawit Terrefe Death, Obituary – The academic community is mourning the loss of Dr. Selamawit Terrefe, an esteemed scholar of African American literature, culture, and racial violence studies, who served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Tulane University. Her unexpected passing has left colleagues, students, and the broader academic world in profound grief. Dr. Terrefe, known as “Sally” by her close friends and former classmates, was renowned for her scholarly work, particularly her in-depth studies on racial violence and the enduring impact of antiblackness as a global phenomenon.
Her research spanned a range of fields including Global Black Studies, Critical Theory, Psychoanalysis, Gender and Sexuality, and Continental Philosophy. Known for her incisive approach to interdisciplinary scholarship, Dr. Terrefe sought to challenge conventional perspectives on the African diaspora, postcolonial melancholia, and racial violence. Her work redefined conceptions of racial slavery, emphasizing its pervasive influence beyond the global North and tracing its roots to modern capitalism’s foundations.
Dr. Terrefe’s contributions were not limited to her research alone. She was also deeply engaged in the classroom, known for her ability to inspire students to approach complex subjects with both critical insight and empathy. She pushed boundaries, encouraging students to think beyond mainstream theoretical frameworks and to grapple with nuanced issues surrounding identity, race, and power. In her role as the 2022-2024 Williams College Faculty Fellow for the Mellon “Just Futures” project, Dr. Terrefe worked to further explore these complex social issues, reflecting her commitment to advancing social justice through rigorous scholarship.
For many, Dr. Terrefe was not only an academic powerhouse but also a compassionate mentor who guided students and junior scholars through the challenges of their own intellectual journeys. Former mentors and colleagues recall her as one of the most brilliant minds they had encountered, bringing a unique depth to her research that left a lasting impact on those fortunate enough to work with her. Dr. Terrefe’s death is a significant loss to the fields she championed. Her work, which interrogated and redefined critical understandings of Black experiences and systemic violence, has left an indelible mark on African American literary and cultural studies.
The Tulane University community, along with her peers and mentees across the academic landscape, are left to honor her legacy by continuing to push the boundaries of these important fields, as she so passionately did. As Tulane University mourns the passing of this remarkable scholar, the impact of her contributions will undoubtedly continue to resonate in her published works, the lives she touched, and the fields she transformed.
