Sabrina Strings

Sabrina Strings, Ph.D., is a scholar specializing in the intersections of race, gender, and embodiment. She serves as Professor and North Hall Chair of Black Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Strings' research focuses on race, gender, and embodiment within science, media, and medicine. Prior to her role at UCSB, she was a recipient of the UC Berkeley Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship, with a joint appointment in the School of Public Health and Department of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. Strings holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Arts and doctorate in sociology from the University of California, San Diego.

Her book, "Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia," published by NYU Press, examines the historical roots of fat phobia and the racialization of the female body. The work traces how the fear of fat Black women developed over more than two centuries. The New York Times noted that the book makes a heavily cited case that modern society's idolization of thinness is less rooted in medical science than in racist ideas born during the Enlightenment. "Fearing the Black Body" received the Body and Embodiment Best Publication Award from the American Sociological Association and was an honorable mention for the Sociology of Sex and Gender Distinguished Book Award. Strings' writing has appeared in The New York Times, Scientific American, Ethnic and Racial Studies, and Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society.

Her second book, "The End of Love: Racism, Sexism, and the Death of Romance," published by Beacon Press, explores how traditional romance has been particularly elusive for women of color and examines the intersections of racism, sexism, and romantic relationships. The book connects historical developments to contemporary issues, analyzing how power dynamics have shaped love and commitment. "The End of Love" earned Strings the Teshome H. Gabriel Distinguished Africanist Award from UC San Diego and has been recognized by Ms. Magazine for its feminist analysis of sexism, whiteness, and toxic masculinity.

Strings has been featured in media outlets including BBC News, NPR, Huffington Post, NowThis, Essence, Vogue, TIME, and The New York Times. She appears in the Netflix docuseries "The Black Beauty Effect." As a public speaker, Strings delivers lectures at universities nationwide, contributing her sociological expertise to discussions on race, gender, body image, and modern romance. Her work connects historical context to contemporary issues such as diet culture and dating apps, offering insight into the ongoing impact of race and gender in society.