ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

What are you currently doing, and how has your path evolved since the feature was published? Are there any new thoughts on how your time in Africana Studies continues to shape your work or interests?

I am currently an assistant professor of sociology at Boston University. I completed my PhD at Duke in 2024 and moved back to Boston that summer to begin this role. When my first alumni profile here was first published, I was just starting my first year of the PhD program, and now I’m on the other side of it. My path has evolved significantly since then. As a professor and a sociologist of race and ethnicity, I teach courses and conduct research on topics such as race and racism, race making and identity formation, and migration, all of which are interests I first developed as a student taking sociology and Africana studies courses at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ. In fact, I still have and use many of the books I purchased for my undergraduate classes in both my teaching and research today. Those courses provided the academic foundation for the work I continue to do, and many of my sociology and Africana studies professors inspired my own trajectory into academia.

What have you been up to since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

Immediately after graduating in 2018, I spent two years working in a college access program at a high school in Chicago. In that role, I provided academic enrichment to freshmen and sophomores, tutored students in STEM courses, and organized field trips and events. In 2020, I returned to school to pursue a master’s degree in urban education policy at Brown University. I completed the program in May, 2021 and, by September, had begun my PhD journey in educational policy studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. As of summer 2025, I am still at UW–Madison working on my dissertation. My independent research focuses on how to make K–12 educational systems safer for Black queer and transgender youth. During my time here, I have also continued to work with youth in advocacy, applied research, and evaluation settings.

Why Africana Studies? (What drew you to the major/minor and how has it shaped your path?)

I knew I wanted to major in African American studies (which ended up being my concentration) before I even matriculated. From a young age, I was deeply interested in Black history, Black cultures, and Black futures. While I taught myself a great deal of Black history, the only formal Black history course I had throughout my entire K–12 experience was a semester-long class in high school. I knew that once I started at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, I was going to pursue as much formal instruction in African American studies as I could.

What kept me in Africana studies was the quality of the courses and instructors, which I believe was largely due to the interdisciplinary nature of the department. By the end of my time at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, I had taken Africana studies courses that overlapped with sociology, history, English, and more. Both then and now, I knew I was receiving a well-rounded education that centered Blackness. Compared to other departments, I felt I had a great deal of flexibility to approach issues from multiple directions. Even as a doctoral student, I continue to be drawn to the same kinds of interdisciplinary approaches to research that I first encountered in Africana studies.

Are there any classes, professors, or experiences that had a lasting impact on you?

There were four Africana studies professors who made a significant impact on me, my work, and how I think about the world around me. Without each of them, I don’t think I would have gotten as much out of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ as I did. Geoffrey Canada Associate Professor of Africana Studies Judith Casselberry first showed me the beauty of how interdisciplinary Africana studies could be, which inspired me to branch out. I was only able to take one course with Professor Casselberry during my first semester, but as my advisor for my first two years, she shared a great deal of wisdom and guidance with me. PProfessor of History Patrick Rael’s approach to teaching history made it feel like I was learning stories, not just facts, and that is something I try to replicate in my own instruction and facilitation. Professor Rael also transformed the way I approach writing papers, and I still use what I learned from him in my graduate-level writing.

Associate Professor of Africana Studies and History Brian Purnell inspired me to take an interest in sociological approaches to Africana studies, specifically through his Urban Crisis class. His use of multimedia—including songs, TV shows, and documentaries—to teach made learning about Black history exciting, and I try to replicate that when I am teaching or facilitating. As my advisor for my last two years, he also guided me through my honors project, which heavily influenced the work I do now.

Associate Professor of English Guy Mark Foster literally changed the way I think about the world around me. He inspired me to question the categories we often live by, such as “race,” “Blackness,” and “masculinity.” This was incredibly important to me, but Professor Foster also created space for me to begin thinking about intersectionality, particularly as it relates to Blackness and gender. The courses I took with him and the papers I wrote for him are in many ways precursors to my current research. I believe his classes were the origin of my love for Black queer theorizing, and I am forever grateful for that.

What have you been up to since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

I work as an environmental journalist on a podcast at New Hampshire Public Radio. Our show covers everything from climate policy to disaster relief to controversy in the dogsledding world. I have been working in podcasting for the past five years. I moved back to Maine shortly after graduation to attend the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. From there, I spent some time working at a studio in Brooklyn and am now happily back in Portland.

Why Africana Studies? (What drew you to the major/minor and how has it shaped your path?)

During my freshman year, I took a course with Associate Professor of Africana Studies and English Tess Chakkalakal. It was a small group of students, and we spent every class in spirited debate. It was exactly what I had imagined college would be! The following fall, I enrolled in Associate Professor of Africana Studies and History Brian Purnell’s Introduction to Africana Studies and immediately knew I had found my major. (I had already decided to major in environmental studies and was looking for a complementary field.)