About
I am a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of Michigan and a Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellow. I am broadly interested in Black politics, inequality, racial attitudes, and political behavior. My dissertation considers how the American Dream myth influences political behavior for Black Americans. My research has appeared in the Journal of Race, Ethnicity and Politics and RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation of the Social Sciences.
Dissertation
My dissertation, When Hard Work Isn’t Enough: Race, Inequality, and the Politics of the American Dream, critically examines the pervasive myth that hard work can overcome any barrier to upward mobility in the United States. I expand on previous work in American politics about the importance of meritocratic beliefs and individualism by situating the American Dream narrative in the context of historical and ongoing discrimination faced by Black Americans. I propose the American Dream narrative functions not only to dampen support for re-distributive policies among advantaged groups, but also to shift the burden for eliminating racial disparities from institutions to individuals within disadvantaged groups. Among Black Americans, this shift often manifests through appeals to “working twice as hard” as whites to succeed in life. Using this framework, I empirically evaluate the extent to which Blacks who believe in the American Dream endorse negative stereotypes about their group and oppose structural approaches to reducing racial inequality. My dissertation work received funding from the Russell Sage Foundation.
Fields of Study
- Class & Inequality
- Black Politics
- Political Behavior and Psychology
- Public Opinion