Melissa Baird

I am a PhD researcher in the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen’s University Belfast. I also completed my BA and MA in History at Queen’s. My master’s dissertation was entitled ‘“Making Black More Beautiful”: African American Women and the Cosmetics Industry in the Post-Civil Rights Era.’ My current research explores the connection between civil rights in Northern Ireland and America. My thesis focuses on the relationship between Irish America and the Northern Irish civil rights movement from 1967 to 1972. It examines how different sections of Irish-American society conceptualised the civil rights movement in the Northern Irish context and how they subsequently responded to the movement. It analyses how conflicting attitudes towards race, nationality, and political ideology complicated this transnational relationship. My broader interests include cultural and social movements in twentieth century Ireland and America.

I am an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

I recently curated the exhibition "1922-1972-2022: Years of Chaos and Hope" at the Linen Hall Library. 

Email: mbaird09@qub.ac.uk