Kumar Mahabir is a passionate anthropologist currently based at the University of Guyana (UG), where he works full-time. He also served as a Fellow at The Eccles Centre for American Studies at the British Library during 2022–23. Before that, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).
Kumar earned his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Florida (UF), where he was recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Florida Caribbean Institute Award, the A. Curtis Wilgus Grant, and an Organization of American States (OAS) Fellowship.
In 2011, he was honored with a National Award — the Hummingbird Silver Medal — for his outstanding contribution to education in Trinidad and Tobago. He’s also one of only 50 recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UWI Alumni Association.
A proud advocate for the Girmitiya cause, Kumar has worked tirelessly to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage and untold stories of Indian indentured laborers and their descendants across the Caribbean. His writings and lectures have helped raise awareness about the struggles, resilience, and cultural contributions of the Girmitiyas.
He has authored 12 books to date, several of which focus on Indo-Caribbean identity and heritage.
