Sierra received her Bachelor of Arts in History with an emphasis in African American studies from the historic Tougaloo College and her Master of Arts in History from The Ohio State University.  She advanced to candidacy in December 2024, and demonstrated expertise in African American, Modern American, and Latin American History. Her research interests include the U.S. civil rights movement, Black women's history & activism, the Black Midwest, and Latin American revolutions. 

Her dissertation project examines the ways Black women responded to urban inequality in Minneapolis by instituting a hybrid grassroots approach to community care during the War on Poverty and Black Power eras. 

She is also deeply passionate about ensuring historical narratives are accessible to the public and aspires to create a physical and digital history exhibit to share the results of her dissertation to non-academic audiences.  

Sierra authored an essay through Picturing Black History, entitled, "A Mother's Power: The Bravery of Mamie Till-Mobley," which was re-published in the NAACP nominated Picturing Black History book in November 2024. In this essay, readers will learn about the resistance of Mamie Till-Mobley and her contributions to the civil rights movement.  

She currently serves as the National Publications Director for the Association of Black Women Historians (ABWH). 

Advisor: Dr. Hasan Jeffries 

Relevant Teaching Experience: 

• Teaching Assistant for Civil Rights and Black Power Movement & African American History since 1877 undergraduate courses.
• Lead Instructor for U.S. History Since 1877 (SU25)

Research Program Affiliations: 

• UNCF Mellon-Mays Undergraduate Fellowship
• SSRC Mellon-Mays Graduate Initiatives Program