I have so many questions about the concepts by which we live our lives, especially in areas of life that are salient to my identities and experiences, or my standpoint (Collins, 1997). This drives my interest in research, and many of these questions end up being research interests that I pursue. I’m particularly fascinated by music, The Black Church, relationships between Black people, organizations, and COVID-19 (and this list continues to grow). I am very much a qualitative researcher, especially in the realm of social behavior, and interviews and observations are my jam, among other research methods. Take a look at my current research that I’m pursuing in my PhD program, and previous research that I pursued in my master’s program.
Current Research
Brandeis University, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Waltham, MA
As a PhD student in social policy at Brandeis University with a concentration in economic and racial equity, I have three research interests that drive me.
My primary research interest is exploring how intraracial xenophobia manifests in the U.S. between African Americans, Caribbeans, and Africans. My interest in this area stems from growing up in a Jamaican immigrant household. While growing up in a Jamaican household, I navigated life—primarily spending time at school and church—in African American contexts. I am pursuing this research because I want to explore points of connection and areas of tension as reflected by the attitudes and behaviors that shape the interactions between these three Black ethnic groups. I am also pursuing this research because I seek liberation. This research interest is the one about which I will focus the research and writing of my dissertation. I am still determining my scope, with possible areas being religion (a scope from my master’s thesis) and public health (given my interest in COVID-19).
A second research interest that I have is examining organizational policies and practices and the impact of harm they have on people, especially those who are marginalized. This interest stems from my experiences and observations navigating a variety of organizations: educational, professional, and religious. School, work, and places of worship are where people spend a significant amount of their time. My focus on harm is both internal and external to the organization. The internal focus is on people who contribute to the operation of an organization, by their employment, volunteerism, or being members of target populations whose existence within the organization is required for the organization to function. The external focus is on people who exist outside of the organization and are part of the organization’s stated target population, and others outside of the target population who may also be harmed.
A third research interest that I have is social behavior related to COVID-19 and the long-term impact that COVID-19 will have on marginalized people. For social behavior, I am interested in looking at the behavior of individuals and groups during and in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. I am particularly interested in how public health policies—at the institutional or macro (i.e., federal, state, and local) and organizational or meso (i.e., companies, health clinics, etc.) level—shape and impact behavior at the individual or micro level (Ray, 2019: 27-28). I am also interested in the impact of risk factors. For example, I would like to learn how differences in behavior between people with heart conditions compared to people without heart conditions impact rates of transmission, especially because of the impact that COVID-19 has on the circulatory system. My interest in the long-term impact of COVID-19 on marginalized communities is rooted in exploring how COVID-19 impacts different aspects of life, such as income, employment, housing, disability, and more. I am also particularly interested in how Long COVID impacts these factors. With marginalized communities, I am interested in Black—particularly African American, Caribbean, and African—low-income, immigrant, and disabled people. Lastly, I am interested in how economics and capitalism inform social behavior and the long-term impact COVID-19 will have on people.
Previous Research
Fisk University, School of Graduate Studies, Nashville, TN
Master’s Thesis: “Put Me in A-Flat: An Exploratory Study on What Benefits Musicians in the Black Church Receive”
Abstract:
What benefits do musicians in the Black Church receive on the basis of being musicians? Tommie Shelby’s socialist equality of opportunity states, “…socioeconomic inequalities that arise solely from differences in native talent are unjust. The fact that some are endowed with socially useful talents is not a sufficient ground to expect greater economic rewards from the system of social cooperation” (Shelby, 2016: 37-38). An exploratory study was conducted using a qualitative approach, with field research through observation and interviewing research participants as data collection procedures. The five desired contributions to the literature on musicians in the Black Church include the role of a musician, the benefits musicians receive, the relationship between musicians and pastors, the relationship between musicians and non-musicians, and general thoughts about musicians. If musicians in the Black Church received benefits, then research participants were asked why or if they believed it is fair to receive such benefits.
Keywords: Black Church, musicians, benefits, pastors, socialist equality of opportunity, socioeconomic inequalities