ANTHROPOLOGIST | AUTHOR | SPEAKER
My practice explores the cultural systems that shape how we are seen — and how we come to see ourselves.
about me
My name is Marcel and I am a cultural anthropologist, author, and speaker born and raised in Brooklyn, NY.
I am the author of Total Market American: Race, Data, and Advertising (Duke University Press, 2025), coauthor of The Nameplate: Jewelry, Culture and Identity (Penguin Random House, 2023), and co-host of the Top Rank podcast.
what i offer
-
I design & deliver talks, workshops, and public conversations on race, advertising, identity, adornment, belonging, and creative authority.
-
I write books, essays, expert reports, and commissioned pieces that bring anthropology into conversation with everyday life. I also collaborate with Isabel Flower on select projects.
-
I create and facilitate spaces for conversation, learning, and reflection- from intimate workshops, performances to larger public programs.
-
I offer talks, workshops and coaching on healing wounds brought on by the desire for external validation, instilling skills to bolster self-trust, creative courage, and reclaiming one’s inner authority.
select projects
say hello
There's a real person on the other end of this — hi, it's me. :) I read everything that comes through and write back, usually within a few days. No bots, no auto-reply into the void.