Sha'Mira Covington
College of Family and Consumer Sciences
Assistant Professor in Fashion
Dr. Sha'Mira Covington is a scholar-artist with interests in Africana studies within the fashion-industrial complex. Her research agenda makes the case for increased dialogue between the visual, sensory, and material-based methods of Black liberation.
215B Barrow Hall
115 DW Brooks Dr.
Athens, GA 30602
Education
| Degree | Field of Study | Institution | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ph.D. | Polymer, Fiber, and Textile Sciences- International Merchandising emphasis, African American Studies | The University of Georgia | 2023 |
| M.S. | Communications- Public Relations | Syracuse University | 2018 |
| B.S. | Fashion Merchandising, Art History | The University of Georgia | 2011 |
Research
My research explores fashion and dress as cultural, historical, social, and political processes involved in and affected by histories of colonial domination, anti-colonial resistance, and processes of decolonization.
Awards
| Award Name | Awarded By | Year Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Campus Sustainability Grant | UGA Office of Sustainability | 2021 |
| SEC Emerging Scholar | Southeastern Conference | 2021 |
| Graduate Research Award | Willson Center for Humanities and Art | 2021 |
| Graduate Education Advancement Board Fellowship | UGA Graduate School | 2020 |
| Myron G. Burney Service Award | The Black Faculty & Staff Organization | 2019 |
| New Approaches Grant for Diversity and Inclusion | UGA Office of Institutional Diversity | 2019 |
Service
| Organization | Title | Year(s) | Service Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Textile and Apparel Association | Member | Current | |
| Association of Black Women Historians | Member | Current | |
| Costume Society of America, Southeastern Region | Member | Current | |
| Black Women Studies Association | Member | Current | |
| National Black Council of Black Studies | Member | Current |
Hobbies and Passions
Embodiment artist: Yoga and pole dance
Current Research
I am currently interested in the myriad of ways that Black women have used embodied modes as liberatory praxis.
My other research interests include:
- Black material culture and museums
- Racial representation within the fashion-industrial complex
- Ecofeminism/ecowomanism and fashion sustainability
- Blackness and media
- Afro-Indigenous studies
- Dance performance, politics, and identity
- Black political/protest dress and efficacy
- Fashion and aesthetics as political tools
- Social justice pedagogy in fashion studies
- Contemplative pedagogy
- Race and decolonization pedagogy
- Critical analysis of corporate social responsibility
I am open to working with students and colleagues on interdisciplinary and adjacent projects to these areas.
Journal Articles
Weigle, B., & Covington, S. (2022) The Role of Clothing and Textiles in Defining ‘Family’, a Study of the Narratives from the Former Slave Project. Fashion Studies. https://www.fashionstudies.ca/the-role-of-clothing-and-textiles-in-defining-family
Reed, J., Covington, S., & Medvedev, K. 2022. "Creating Room for Social Justice Pedagogy in Fashion Education". Clothing and Textiles Research Journal.
Covington, S., Medine, C. 2022. “Africana Yogi Personae: Black Yoga Practitioners’ Aesthetic Negotiations in Dress”. The Arrow: A Journal of Wakeful Society, Culture, and Politics.
Covington, S. 2022. “The Narrative Bodies of James Baldwin: A Discussion of Sartorial and Literary Style". Religions
Covington, S., Medvedev, K. 2019. “Dressing for Freedom and Justice”. Clothing Cultures, 6(2), 215-235.
Working Papers
Covington, S., Medvedev, K. “Woke” Brands?: An Analysis of Racial Consciousness and the Limits of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Fashion-Industrial Complex. [CTRJ].
Covington, S. “Decentering and Decolonizing Fashion”. [Edited textbook chapter for Meanings of Dress].