Cheryl LaRoche is an American historical and archaeological consultant notable for her work exploring the landscapes of 18th and 19th-century free black communities and their relationships to the Underground Railroad. 
Education and career.
Dr LaRoche holds a PhD in American Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a focus in Archaeology and African American history. She is now an Associate Research Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. In 2011 the Society for Historical Archaeology awarded LaRoche with the John L. Cotter award for her "remarkable work in expanding the interdisciplinary development of historical archaeology in examinations of African American history and culture". In 2023 was awarded the Maryland Historical Trust Calvert Prize for leadership and service in historical preservation. She has acted as a consultant for numerous institutions, including the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, several National Park service sites. and the African Burial Ground Project. In 2017 she gave the Wesleyan University Centre for African American Studies 21st Annual Distinguished Lecture on "The Geography of Resistance: Free black Communities and the Underground Railroad".