Deirdre Jonese Austin

Deirdre Jonese Austin is a scholar, writer, womanist minister, and Black feminist anthropologist and ethnographer born and raised in the South and in the church. Her work, ministry, and research develop out of her own experience and explore topics at the intersections of faith, race, gender, sexuality, and justice. She was the Our Bodies Ourselves content developer and writer from 2022 to 2026.

She graduated from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology in 2022, and is now doctoral student in Duke University’s cultural anthropology program, pursuing certificates in African and African American studies and feminist studies.

Her doctoral work explores how Black women come to understand their bodies and sexualities, cultivate community, and find healing and liberation through dance in the sacred spaces of the church and the pole studio. You can learn more about her and read her writing at DeirdreJoneseAustin.com.