PhD Student
Advisor: Christien Tompkins
Program: Cultural Anthropology (CITE)
Timothy McGhee is an African American initiated priest in the Yoruba Ifa and Lukumi traditions. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the City College of New York as a double major in Black Studies and Anthropology. Tim continued his studies to pursue a Master’s degree from Columbia University in Anthropology. Currently, Timothy is a 4th year PhD student at Rutgers University in the Anthropology department and a Mellon-Mays fellow. His background as a priest and scholar is evidence of his passion to serve humanity as a cultural custodian, and preserver of Afro-diasporic religious and cultural traditions.
Timothy’s dissertation work focuses on studying Afro-diasporic religious communities that consequently informed social justice movements, guided the formation of political and social systems of governance, and he continuously writes and works to provide African centered religious context to the many instantiations of revolutions in the Americas. He resides in the south Bronx and was born and raised in New Jersey. Because of his love and respect for his own community, Timothy has a deep-seated desire to work in impoverished communities and areas where minority populations are underserved. Timothy writes and teaches to contribute both to the Academy’s, and the community’s understanding of class, race, sexuality, indigeneity, spirituality, and religion.
