Scholar. Educator. Writer.

I study the stories that society tells about Black women, and the narratives that we craft about ourselves.

I approach these stories as data that offer insight into how Black women construct and make sense of themselves, the world, and their place within it. This line of inquiry engages numerous fields, including: Africana studies, audience studies, digital cultures, feminist media studies, and womanism. I have been teaching courses in Communication and Media Studies, African American Studies, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies since 2011. I am currently an Assistant Professor of Black Studies in Communication at the University of Washington in Seattle. I have written about Black women’s professional labor in the culture industries and their intimate creative work using Web 2.0 technologies in scholarly and public venues.

Coaching

My interests and work as an educator also include diversity and inclusion strategies, faculty development, and professional development for students. I have designed and presented numerous workshops focused on student success and inclusive classrooms. I draw on my strengths as a Certified Personal and Executive Coach to support groups and individuals who desire to (re)connect to their purpose, identify and leverage their strengths, accelerate their growth and achieve their wackiest dreams.

Beginnings

I earned a PhD in Communication Studies with a Graduate Certificate in African American and Diaspora Studies from the University of Michigan, where I was also a Rackham Merit Fellow. Prior to that I worked in the magazine industry and have written for Essence and BLAC. I received a B.A. in Magazine Journalism and International Relations from Syracuse University, where I also became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. My home team consists of my husband, Christopher, and our son, Cairo Alan. We reside in the Seattle metro area, but Detroit (the city where I was raised) is my forever home.