About
Niya Bates is a PhD candidate in History and African American Studies at Princeton University. She studies 19th and 20thcentury U.S. history, global environmentalism, and rural cultural landscapes. Her dissertation seeks to connect rural Black cultural landscapes in 19th century Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky to global traditions of marronage, and to explore the 20thcentury legacies of those communities. Prior to coming to Princeton, Niya worked in public history preserving rural African American history in central Virginia. In that time, she also served as the director of African American history and the Getting Word African American Oral History Project at Monticello. Bates has been a guest on several podcasts and streaming platforms including Netflix’s High on the Hog, Oprah’s Book Club, Monty Don’s American Gardens, NPR’s All Things Considered, and Following Harriet. She earned a B.A. in African and African American Studies and an M.A. in Architectural History with a certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Virginia. Niya was born and raised in central Virginia and is a descendant of families who were enslaved in that area.