Hankins graduated cum laude from
Loyola University and earned her master's degree at
Louisiana State University. Hankins worked as the Assistant Librarian and Archivist at the
University of Arizona and the Archivist of the Amistad Research Center at
Tulane University. In 2003, she joined the faculty of
Texas A&M University as an Associate Professor and Archivist/Librarian/Curator for Africana Studies. She is the author of numerous articles and chapters and co-editor (with
Miguel Juarez) of
Where are all the Librarians of Color? The Experiences of People of Color in Academia (2016). She was honored as a 2016 Fellow of the
Society of American Archivists for her services to the archival profession and the Society. She is one of the editors of Islam and Science Fiction project. In December 2016, President Obama appointed Hankins as a member of the
National Historical Publications and Records Commission. ==References==