About Holly

Hey, y'all ! I'm Holly E. Burgess, 32, from Kenosha, WI. I am a Black writer, researcher, educator, and public speaker! I am currently an Independent Scholar and Black scholar-activist.

The Mission: NYC August 2026

I am headed to New York City, August 5-12, 2026, to study Malcolm X, Dr. Huey P. Newton, Tupac Shakur, and the Black Radical Tradition. I will be conducting archival research in Harlem, at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (NYPL), and The Shabazz Center, and other archival sites along the way!

Why I Am Raising Funds

As a researcher with a 3.9447 GPA and nearly a decade of experience in Black Radical Tradition, I am committed to seeing this work through to the finish line. I am committed to still traveling to NYC despite the transitional period of my career and education! I cannot pass up this once-in-a-lifetime research opportunity. This will be my first time flying on a plane!

This NYC research trip is for my forthcoming dissertation titled, "Transcribing Brutality: Violence, Martyrdom, and Legacy in Black Literature and Social Movements." In my dissertation, I am crafting an original literary genealogy of four generations of Black scholar-activists as they respond to the themes of state violence, martyrdom, lynching, and legacy.

I am now in the fifth generation due to having to sever ties with my former university to protect my intellectual property, my dissertation, my dissertation committee, my mental and physical health, my Medicaid and SNAP/EBT, and my household's safety.

All donations to this GoFundMe will help me and my federal retiree mother, Laurie, get to NYC so I can conduct this groundbreaking research, with my mother's support, and ensure my light—and this Black history—continues to shine.

A Legacy of Gratitude

As a donor, you are part of this pilgrimage. All donors will be formally thanked in the Acknowledgments Page of my completed dissertation and featured on my professional portfolio at hollyeburgess.

Thank you for helping me stand in the light!

All Power to the People,

Holly E. Burgess

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