I teach courses that examine the relationship between race, power, and democratic governance in the United States. My teaching draws on my research in African American politics, political economy, and education policy, and is designed to engage students as critical thinkers about the structures that shape political life.

POLS 106AM: African American Politics

This course examines the political experiences of African Americans from Reconstruction to the present. Topics include the development of Black political institutions, the civil rights movement, voting rights, representation, and contemporary debates about racial inequality and democratic participation.

POLS 106DQ: Democracy and Inequality

This course investigates the tension between democratic ideals and persistent forms of social, economic, and political inequality in the United States. Students engage with theories of democracy, representation, and power while examining how race, class, and institutional design shape who benefits from—and who is excluded by—democratic governance.

POLS 196/594BT: Black Political Thought

This course surveys the intellectual traditions of Black political thought in the United States and the African diaspora. Students read primary texts from thinkers spanning abolitionism, Black nationalism, feminism, Marxism, and contemporary movements, exploring how Black intellectuals have theorized freedom, power, and collective liberation.

POLS 196/594CR: Race, Class, and Gender in the United States

Spring 2026

This course examines how race, class, and gender operate as intersecting systems of power in American politics. Drawing on scholarship from political science, sociology, and political theory, students explore how these categories shape political institutions, policy design, democratic participation, and citizenship. The course is organized around close reading of core texts supplemented by articles and book chapters that provide foundational frameworks and applied cases.