Since 2009, she has taught at Denison University, first as an Assistant Professor (2009-2015) and now as an Associate Professor (2015–present). Previously she held appointments at
Union College (2008-9),
George Washington University (2005-8), and
Howard University (2003-5).[5] In 2019, Kennedy was teaching a wide range of courses on the ancient world, including both Greek and Latin language, Greek and Roman history and politics, ancient drama, and ancient identities.[2]
In 2016, Kennedy became the Director of the Denison Museum, a teaching museum which enhances the university's curriculum using cultural heritage materials and artworks.[6]
Research publications
Kennedy is the author of two monographs. The first is 'Athena's Justice: Athena, Athens, and the Concept of Justice in
Greek Tragedy'.[7] The second is 'Immigrant Women in Athens: Gender, Ethnicity, and Citizenship in the Classical City'.[8][9][10]
Her current project, commissioned and under contract with
Johns Hopkins University Press, is a book on race in classical antiquity and its contemporary legacy.[11]
Kennedy is the editor or co-editor of the following volumes, handbooks, and translations:
'Race and Ethnicity in the Classical World: An Anthology of Primary Sources' (Hackett, 2013), co-edited with C.S. Roy and M.L. Goldman.[12][13]
'The Routledge Handbook to Identity and the Environment in the Classical and Medieval Worlds' (Routledge, 2016), co-edited with Molly Jones-Lewis.[14]
'Brill's Companion to the Reception of Aeschylus' (Brill, 2017).[15][16]
'Ancient Greek and Roman Women: An Anthology of Primary Sources' (Hackett, in progress), co-editor, co-author, and translator with M.L. Goldman.[11]
Kennedy's research has been cited in
The New Yorker, in an article on 'The Myth of Classical Whiteness', by Margaret Talbot.[17]
Public engagement and media
Alongside her research and teaching, Kennedy also writes and publishes widely in non-traditional formats, including her personal blog entitled 'Classics at the Intersections'.
[1] This blog is described by Kennedy herself as 'random thoughts of a Classicist on ancient Greek and Roman culture and contemporary America'.[18]
Other publications and media appearances of this kind included:
“We Condone it by Our Silence: Confronting Classics’ Complicity in White Supremacy”, Eidolon, 2017.[19]
“Why I Teach About Race and Ethnicity in the Classical World”, Eidolon, 2017.[20]
"A Day in the Life of a Classicist and Museum Director", Society for Classical Studies Blog, 2018.[22]
Special Guest Episode on 'The History of Ancient Greece' podcast, discussing Race and Ethnicity in antiquity, 2018.
[2]
Interviewed for episodes of 'The Endless Knot' podcast (hosted by Mark Sundaram and Aven McMaster) on "Race and Racism in Ancient and Medieval Studies, Part 1: The Problem" and "Part 2: The Response", 2018.[23][24]
Interviewed for "Classics Confidential Shorts!" with Elton Barker of the Open University, discussing work in progress on race and ethnicity and classics, 2019.[25]
Interview with Itinera Podcast on how I became a classicist, being a first gen in academia, and issues of race/ethnicity in the ancient world.[26]
"The Study of Classics in Changing" with Max L. Goldman, Inside Higher Ed, 2021.[27]
"Classics is a part of Black intellectual history - Howard needs to keep it" with Jackie Murray, The Undefeated, 2021.[28]
Kennedy was also a 'talking head' contributor to the
History Channel's series Clash of the Gods (2009), in the episodes "Minotaur", "Hercules", and "Medusa".[29]