​WORKS IN PROGRESS

Righting Wrongs:
​The Chicago Reparations Ordinance as a Form Transitional Justice for the Black American Community
This study aims to examine and analyze the reparations ordinance passed in the city of Chicago as a potential model for African Americans seeking redress for racial injustice. Using document analysis and process tracing, I explore the following research question: Under what conditions can racialized minority groups receive reparations for systemic injustices such as police violence? I seek to address this question by using the 2015 reparations ordinance that was passed in Chicago as one of very few successful cases in the United States for African Americans seeking transitional justice for racially charged violence. Using the assumptions of political process theory, I theorize that a strong local grassroots movement along with politically empowered public led to a successful campaign for reparations for the victims of police torture. This project received partial funding from the Bartling Fund.
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Can We Say Their Names Too?: The Silencing of Black Trans and Masculine Presenting Women Around Police Violence in the Media
I am working on a co-authored project with Claire Crawford concerning the increase of media attention to the murder of unarmed Black and Brown people has caused an international mobilizing effect on citizens. While there has been massive organizing around the murder by police of Black males, there has been very little advocacy around Black women and police violence and almost none around the issue of queer and trans Black women. Our research addresses the issue of police violence against Black trans and masculine-presenting women and the reasons why these women tend to be invisible to the Black Lives Matter and Say Her Name Movements. We pose the questions: Why are Black trans and masculine-presenting women left out of conversations of police brutality? What do movements like BLM and #SayHerName lose when silencing Black queer women? How does mainstream media exacerbate the marginalization of these women?We will explore the silence around the death of Black queer women and how their marginalization is exacerbated in the media.
Business Interests, Race, and the Decisions of Public Officials
I am currently working on a book project with Dr. Christian Grose and Dr. Jordan Carr Peterson addressing the business and economic role of racial symbolism. Over the past five years, there has been enormous support for the removal of confederate monuments. The nationwide debate has brought into question the importance of removing these monuments for not only restorative justice reasons but also economic benefits for smaller cities who are looking for business to move and increase their economy. The legacy of the civil war and confederate monuments in many ways affirm the racist and oppressive ideologies of white supremacy. ​