Ariyanne (Ari) Colston is a second-year doctoral student in the Religion in America subfield. Her research interests include African American religion, Black geographies, and U.S. law. In particular, she studies the formation and decline of Black sacred places—specifically the architectural and spatial practices of Black churches—in the United States. Her work also examines the ways the law and violence shape Black religious geographies. 

Prior to joining the Department of Religion at Princeton, Ari received a B.A. in Religious Studies and International Studies at the University of Miami. She completed the dual degree program in Law and Religion at Emory University, where she earned her M.Div. at Candler School of Theology and her J.D. from Emory Law. Ari is a President’s Fellow at Princeton, and her work is also supported by the Department of African American Studies and the J.D. Rockefeller, Jr. Fund.