Tressie McMillan Cottom

Tressie McMillan Cottom is a sociologist whose work examines the intersections of race, technology, and inequality in contemporary American life. She is the author of Thick: And Other Essays, a 2018 collection that was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her incisive commentary has appeared in The New York Times, and she regularly contributes to public discourse on social issues affecting marginalized communities.

In 2020, McMillan Cottom was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, recognizing her significant intellectual contributions to understanding how systems of power shape individual lives. She serves as a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she teaches and conducts research on the social dimensions of technology and inequality.

Beyond her academic work, McMillan Cottom maintains a substantial public presence through her newsletter, Essaying, which reaches more than 23,000 subscribers. Based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, she continues to produce critical analysis that bridges scholarly expertise with accessible cultural commentary.