Kelly Lytle Hernandez

Kelly Lytle Hernández is a tenured professor of History, African American Studies, and Urban Planning at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she holds The Thomas E. Lifka Endowed Chair in History. She also serves as the director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA.

As one of the nation’s leading experts on race, immigration, and mass incarceration, Hernández is the author of several acclaimed books. These include "Migra! A History of the U.S. Border Patrol," which has been lauded as the first significant academic history of the U.S. Border Patrol and received multiple accolades, including Honorable Mention for the John Hope Franklin Prize and the Lora Romero First Book Publication Prize from the American Studies Association. She also penned "City of Inmates: Conquest, Rebellion, and the Rise of Human Caging in Los Angeles," which won multiple awards, including the American Book Award and the John Hope Franklin Publication Prize. Her most recent book, "Bad Mexicans: Race, Empire, and Revolution in the Borderlands," published in May 2022, explores the Mexican Revolution's impact on the U.S.

In addition to her writing, Hernández directs the Million Dollar Hoods project, using data to analyze the cost of policing and mass incarceration in Los Angeles. This project has achieved significant milestones, including winning court access to historical records from the Los Angeles Police Department. She actively participates in advocacy, often appearing at city hall with her students to push for systemic changes in policing and incarceration.

Hernández's significant contributions to her field were recognized when she was awarded the 2019 MacArthur 'Genius Grant' Fellowship. She is an elected member of the Society of American Historians, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and serves on the Pulitzer Prize Board. Recently, under her leadership, UCLA won a $3.65-million grant to build the 'Age of Mass Incarceration' archive with LAPD records.