Bo Tefu | California Black Media
San Francisco arts professor Jacqueline Francis has been appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to the California African American Museum Board of Directors, bringing a Bay Area scholar specializing in African American art and visual culture to the museum’s leadership.
Francis has served as dean of the Humanities and Sciences Division at California College of the Arts since 2024. She previously served in several roles at the college, including professor, academic engagement coordinator, associate professor and chair of the Graduate Program in Visual and Critical Studies.
Before joining California College of the Arts, Francis was an assistant professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, from 2000 to 2008. She earned a Doctor of Education degree in history of art from Emory University, a master’s degree in African American studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a bachelor’s degree in English from Dartmouth College.
Her work extends beyond the classroom. Francis co-founded the Association for Critical Race Art History and serves as secretary of the National Committee for the History of Art. She also sits on advisory boards for Third Text and Panorama: Journal of the Association of Historians of American Art.
The California African American Museum is based in Los Angeles and preserves and presents African American history, art and culture. Francis’ appointment gives San Francisco and the Bay Area a direct connection to the leadership of one of California’s prominent institutions devoted to the Black experience.
Her appointment does not require Senate confirmation and carries no compensation.
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