Michaela Shelton

Fulbright/University of Bristol Award

Michaela Shelton, a native of New York, NY and a graduate of Pomona College, is a community organizer and political strategist whose work lies at the intersection of racial justice, education equity, and civic empowerment.

With a BA in Politics and research experience across South Africa and the United States, Michaela’s interests center on comparative race studies, Black feminist theory, and social movements. She has led grassroots campaigns and legislative advocacy efforts with organizations such as the ACLU of Georgia, Equity in Education, and Fair Fight Action, mobilizing thousands of voters and policy supporters across the South.

As a Fulbright Awardee, Michaela will pursue an MA in Anthropology at the University of Bristol where she will research the political significance of Black hair and beauty in Afro-Caribbean and West African communities. Her project explores how Black hair salons function as cultural and democratic spaces that shape collective identity, resistance, and belonging.

During her time in the UK, Michaela looks forward to immersing herself in Black British cultural archives, participating in scholarly exchanges on diasporic feminism, and building community with women whose stories reflect shared struggles and aspirations. She hopes her research will bridge transatlantic conversations on race, aesthetics, and liberation, informing future work in academia, cultural policy, and global justice movements.