Ted T. Ellis: Artist, Creative Historian, and Advocate for Civil Rights

Ted T. Ellis, a renowned artist and creative historian, serves as the Director of Florida State University’s Civil Rights Institute. The institute is dedicated to commemorating, celebrating, and studying the U.S. civil rights movement, with a mission to promote justice, equality, and a better future for all.

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Ellis, praised as a visionary leader by FSU College of Social Sciences and Public Policy Dean Tim Chapin, Ph.D., holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from Dillard University and a Master’s in Museum Studies from Southern University in New Orleans. His impactful artwork, including portraits of civil rights icons like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, has been featured in prominent venues, including the halls of Congress.

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Under Ellis’s leadership, the Civil Rights Institute is broadening its scope through initiatives such as an oral history project in collaboration with FSU’s Department of History and student organizations to document untold stories. He is also launching a speaker series that will connect students, faculty, and staff with individuals actively engaged in civil rights advocacy.

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The institute, housed within FSU’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration across fields such as African American studies, sociology, public health, urban and regional planning, criminology, social work, medicine, nursing, and education. Founded in 2018 by FSU alumni and siblings Doby and Fred Flowers, it seeks to advance civil rights by integrating politics, law, art, communication, music, and history.

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“We have a tremendous amount of intellectual capital and acuity at Florida State University,” Ellis remarked. “I look forward to working with civil rights leaders, researchers, and our community as we collectively build toward a better future for all". Learn more about Ted T. Ellis, Ted Ellis (artist) - Wikipedia