Alicia Odewale

Dr. Alicia Odewale is an African Diaspora archaeologist whose work bridges restorative justice, antiracist scholarship, and community-centered archaeology. As the founder of Archaeology Rewritten and a National Geographic Explorer, she investigates African heritage sites across the U.S. and Caribbean, using maps, oral histories, sacred landscapes, and even trees to uncover both tangible and intangible aspects of Black heritage. She co-directs the Mapping Historical Trauma in Tulsa from 1921–2021 project, which uses archaeology to document the survivance and resilience of the Greenwood community after the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Paired with this research is a field school offering free training and paid internships for Oklahoma students. In 2025, she will launch The Black Heritage Tree Project, mapping spirit trees that stand as living witnesses to centuries of Black history and resistance.

Dr. Odewale also teaches in the Department of African American Studies at the University of Houston, where she blends anthropology, history, and African Diaspora studies in her classrooms. A passionate educator, she mentors students from elementary to Ph.D. levels and co-leads the Black History Saturdays program, ensuring culturally-informed curricula continue in Oklahoma classrooms. Her work has been featured in National Geographic Magazine, Dreamland: The Burning of Black Wall Street on HBO Max, NPR’s All Things Considered, and ABC’s GMA3. As a speaker for National Geographic Live and the Lead Tulsa Storyteller for 2892 Miles to Go, she continues to amplify stories of Black resilience, especially through partnerships with HBCUs and Disney’s “On the Yard” initiative.

A descendant of a 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre survivor and graduate of the historic Booker T. Washington High School, Dr. Odewale is a fierce advocate for diversifying archaeology and integrating Black heritage into educational spaces. She serves on the board of the Society for Historical Archaeology, the National Geographic Oklahoma Advisory Council, and as president-elect of the Society of Black Archaeologists. Her work has been recognized by the National Science Foundation, the American Anthropological Association, and the Society for Historical Archaeology, which awarded her the prestigious John L. Cotter Award.