Connor Nakamura

Wolf Humanities Center Undergraduate Fellow

20242025 Forum on Keywords

Connor Nakamura

History

CAS, 2025

Connor Nakamura is a senior studying History and Urban Studies. He is interested in 20th century social movements, political thought, ethnic studies, and urban history. His recent research has focused on how racialized groups understand their identities in relation to broader social movements and collective demands. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Penn History Review, and currently works as a Community Projects Assistant at the Kislak Center. In his free time, Connor enjoys trying new restaurants in Philadelphia, watching the NBA, and playing board games.

Cloaked Radicalism: Bayard Rustin, Socialism, and Civil Rights 1955-1965

My research examines the relationship between the democratic socialist left and the Civil Rights Movement. I center the activism and political thought of Bayard Rustin, a key leader in both the socialist left and the Civil Rights Movement. Through this research, I hope to reveal a transitory moment in American politics, where Rustin attempted to formulate a theory and practice appropriate to the task of Civil Rights demands, widespread automation, and an ascendant vision of Black Power.