My Work
Research Interest
Health Communication
Media Effects Studies
Afro-Russion Studies
Recent Studies
Black Identities and Media in the Twenty-First Century
Chapter Title: The New Black Women: How the Black Women of HBO’s Lovecraft Country Circumvent Stereotypes of African American Women
Abstract: Lovecraft Country was a horror sci-fi show that premiered on HBO in August 2020. While the plot centers on the reality of combating a racist world in a fictional, fantastical way, it also features the lived experiences of three prominent Black women. Historically, African American women are portrayed in highly stereotypical roles in the mainstream media, but the series presents its three Black female characters with depth and multiplicity. This study examines the three as defined: Letitia ‘Leti’ Lewis, the hopeful, tragic mulatto figure who wants to take her life into her own hands; Ruby Baptiste is the stoic sapphire who finally gets what she wants; and Hippolyta Freeman is the housewife mammy figure with adventurous dreams of finding out who she really is. Utilizing a media content analysis along with critical analysis, this study found that despite being initially presented on the spectrum of a stereotypical role, they engage in events and acts that diversify the traditional behaviors and actions of the typecast. Guided by Black Feminist Thought, the study found that the subversion of stereotypes can allow for more diverse representations of Black women in the media.
Women’s Leadership in Popular Culture
Chapter Title: The Servant Mammy: How Lovecraft Country’s Hippolyta Freeman Circumvents through Servant Leadership Approach
Abstract: Representations of African American women in popular media have traditionally revolved around character assassination, self-depreciative behaviors, and typecasts based on physical appearance. Mainstream media centers on men as leaders, emphasizing characteristics of traditional masculinity and when women leaders are portrayed, they tend to be read as cold, villainous and miserable. Black women are seldom portrayed in the media as leaders in their professional and personal lives. Conversely, few studies within the leadership field solely focus on Black women leaders. This study analyzed the depiction of Hippolyta as she rises as an unexpected leader, who uses her science competencies to save her family, using the servant leadership approach, according to Greenleaf (2002).
Pandemic Resilience
Vaccination Resistance and Hesitance, Lessons from COVID-19
Chapter Title: Using PEN-3 to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Toolkit for Community-Based Organizations on Promoting Clinical Trials for African Americans
Abstract: The lack of diversity and inclusion continues in vaccine clinical trials. Despite African Americans being unknowingly and unethically used in the development of lifesaving vaccines, there remains a widespread underrepresentation of Black people in vaccine research. In addition, the history of medical racism has created a tumultuous environment for Black patients, where the disproportionate spread of illnesses associated with COVID-19 continues to reiterate that healthcare continues to be a segregated privilege that is tightly linked to institutional racism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published its COVID-19 Communication Toolkit for Community-Based Organizations in 2020 to help organizations communicate information about the COVID-19 vaccine while addressing community concerns. Utilizing Critical Race Theory and the PEN-3 Cultural Model (PEN-3), this study found that the resources in the toolkit primarily used community-based framing to increase vaccine uptake and used diverse people in its visual communication and marketing resources. However, the toolkit failed to specifically address the nonexistence of African Americans in clinical trial research, the history of medical racism or provide educational information about COVID-19.
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