Leah Wright Rigueur is an associate research professor at the Agora Institute and in the Department of History at Johns Hopkins University. Prior to joining JHU, she held positions at Brandeis University, the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Wesleyan University.
As a trained political historian, Leah’s scholarship and research expertise include 20th Century United States political and social history, Modern African American history, with an emphasis on race and political ideology, the American Presidency and presidential elections, policies and civil rights movements, and protest and unrest in the United States. Dr. Rigueur’s award-winning book, The Loneliness of the Black Republican: Pragmatic Politics and the Pursuit of Power covers more than four decades of American political and social history, and examines the ideas and actions of black officials and politicians, from the era of the New Deal to Ronald Reagan’s presidential ascent in 1980.
Dr. Rigueur’s research, writing, and commentary have been featured in numerous outlets including PBS, MSNBC, CNN, NPR, the History Channel, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Politico, The Root, The New Republic, Polity, Federal History, and Souls. Since 2020, Dr. Rigueur has served as an ABC News Contributor.