Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2023, Political Science

For a comprehensive understanding of attitudes toward the death penalty, it is crucial to examine the historical backdrop of racial inequality in the criminal justice system. By delving into the history of incarceration and influential policies from the abolition of slavery to the present day, this study seeks to uncover the potential connections between these policies and death penalty attitudes. Utilizing data from the Pew Research Center, bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to investigate the interplay among various variables, including race, partisanship, religion, age, and gender. The results revealed significant associations between all independent variables and attitudes toward the death penalty. Females exhibited a negative relationship, indicating a lower likelihood of supporting capital punishment compared to males. Religious denomination displayed a statistically significant relationship across all three categories, with Protestants, Catholics, and Mormons more inclined to support the death penalty. Party affiliation exhibited a statistically negative relationship, indicating that Democrats were less likely to support capital punishment compared to Independents and Republicans. Notably, race was found to be negatively associated with the death penalty, suggesting that black individuals are less likely to support it compared to their white counterparts. This finding can be attributed to the historical mistreatment and discriminatory practices faced by African Americans within the criminal justice system. Given the pervasive inequalities experienced by African Americans throughout history due to governmental policies, it is unsurprising to observe a substantial disparity in death penalty attitudes between African Americans and white individuals.

Committee: Staci Rhine (Advisor); Scott Rosenberg (Committee Member); Rob Baker (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; African Americans; Criminology; Ethnic Studies; Political Science; Sociology

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2022, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

The number of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, also known as BIPOC, students in public schools has surpassed white student enrollment. This trend is projected to continue to increase as white student enrollment is projected to decrease. Students of color face challenges in the current school systems through their subjection to bias, microaggressions, and systemic racism. These negative experiences stay with the student long after the actual event and can lead to behavioral issues, social emotional issues, as well as mental and physical health implications. Students of color in transracial adoptive families are not immune to negative racial experiences even though their parents are white. This qualitative study focuses on the significant experiences of transracial families as they relate to racism, aiming to tell the stories of the families' experiences with racism within their public schools. Implicit Bias, Microaggressions, Systemic Racism, and Cultural Competency Theory provide the theoretical framework for this study. The families who participated were referred through network sampling in two counties in Northeast Ohio. Data for the study was collected using demographic surveys and virtual interviews. The stories of the participating transracial families are compelling, highly personal, and extremely emotional. The results yielded the following nine significant findings: (1) Racial Identity Awareness, (2) Evidence of Racial Bias, (3) Microaggressions, (4) Significant Race Related Events, (5) Evidence of Strong Emotions, (6) Trauma Related to Racism, (7) Trauma Related to Adoption, (8) Systemic Racism is Still Evident in PK-12 Schools, (9) Cultural Competence Matters, and (10) Increased Parental Awareness. School administrators and teachers would benefit from the findings of this study to help inform and increase awareness of the significance of cultural competence in PK-12 school communities.

Committee: Jane Beese EdD (Committee Chair); Rodney Rock EdD (Committee Member); Patrick Spearman PhD (Committee Member); Charles Vergon JD (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership

Master of Arts in Education, University of Akron, 2015, Educational Foundations-Social/Philosophical Foundations of Education

Education is never neutral. Education always serves one of two ends. It is either an instrument of liberation or one of oppression. If the education system is not actively supporting the process of liberating the oppressed, it is necessarily, through integration, supporting the current oppressive regime (Freire, 1970). The above quote, written by Richard Shaull in the forward to Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed, summarizes well Freire's theory of education's two possible purposes. The question asked and answered in this study is as follows: which of these mutually exclusive ends does the system of education, in the United States of America, currently serve? Is it a system operating for liberation, or is it supporting the continuation of racial oppression through a racial caste system? In this study, I will examine how the funding gap, the achievement gap, and the discipline gap existing in K-12 schools have acted as one arm of a racial caste system that actively oppresses people of color, especially Black males, in this country. The second chapter in this study will begin with an exploration of three foundational concepts; Critical Race Theory, multiple forms of racism, and racial caste. Critical Race Theory (CRT) will be the lens through which this study is conducted. CRT's foundational concepts will establish a framework of ideas which will then be drawn upon as content is presented. Next, the chapter will explore the concepts of multiple forms of racism, individual versus systemic racism and provide a working definition of racism for the study. Finally, chapter two is dedicated to understanding racial caste, what it means, how it operates, and the history of education under its previous two manifestations in society, slavery and Jim Crow Law. Chapters three through five examine the three previously mentioned racial gaps through which the current racial caste system operates; the funding gap, the achievement gap, and the discipline gap. Chapter six, the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Suzanne Mac Donald Dr. (Advisor); Huey-Li Li Dr. (Committee Member); Zachary Williams Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; Black Studies; Education; Education History; Education Philosophy; Education Policy

Ed.D., Antioch University, 2025, Education

The persistent health disparities faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the United States are deeply rooted in systemic racism embedded within medical education and clinical practice. Historical acceptance of racial supremacy in the United States has shaped both the foundations and continued practices of medical education, leading to entrenched biases that affect healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. This dissertation critically examines the intersection of race, education, and health by analyzing how historical and contemporary understandings of race and ethnicity shape medical curricula, healthcare practices, and patient care. Through the integration of Critical Race Theory (CRT), Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), and ScT, this study deconstructs racialized knowledge systems in medicine and examines their impact on health equity. CRT provides a lens to analyze how systemic racism is embedded within medical education and practice, illuminating the ways racial bias is institutionalized and perpetuated in healthcare structures. SCT contributes by exploring how individuals internalize societal norms and beliefs, which influence the attitudes and behaviors of both medical practitioners and patients. Finally, ScT emphasizes the role of social networks and relationships, highlighting how disparities in access to healthcare resources and support systems affect health outcomes in marginalized communities. Together, these theories offer a comprehensive framework for understanding the layered and interconnected influences of race, education, and healthcare, guiding the study's aim to challenge and dismantle biased practices within medical training and clinical care. Chapters I and II introduce the research problem and establish a comprehensive foundation, outlining key theoretical frameworks—CRT, SCT, and ScT—while exploring the historical roots of racialized practices in medicine, including the legacy of unethical experimentation and the Flexner Report (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Tony Kashani Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Cristy Sugarman Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lauren Mitchell Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; American History; Black History; Black Studies; Cultural Anthropology; Education History; Education Policy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory; Ethics; Evolution and Development; Health; Health Care; Health Education; Health Sciences; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Medical Ethics; Medicine; Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior; Public Administration; Public Health; Public Health Education; School Administration; Science Education; Secondary Education; Social Research; Social Structure

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Sociology

How do sociologists conceptualize race and ethnicity? How have they defined and assessed these concepts historically, and what has changed over time? What about the social processes that lead to each concept: racism (race), ethnocentrism (ethnicity), and nationalism (nation)? Should sociologists focus on conceptualizing the processes over the classificatory schema, and if so, is there one process more influential than the others? These questions are addressed in the first chapter. What makes systemic racism systemic, and what is white supremacy? What does a sociological model of systemic racism look like at multiple levels (global, world regional, national) that accounts for both the mechanisms and manifestations of systemic racism? These questions are addressed in the second chapter. Finally, how long has systemic racism been identifiable in historical time? In other words, when and where did systemic racism originate? Is it even worthwhile to investigate systemic racism's origins? What does sociology have to gain by incorporating pre-modern racisms into its conceptualizations of systemic racism? These questions and more are addressed in the third chapter. I close with a meditation on the social construct of ancestry as well as the state categories that organize much of the racial inequality literature in sociology today.

Committee: Rachel Dwyer (Committee Co-Chair); Vincent Roscigno (Committee Member); Reanne Frank (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Sociology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Psychology

Systemic racism – the institutional and structural exclusion of and bias against people of color – negatively affects people of color. The present research seeks to address how beliefs about the permanence of systemic racism impacts people of color. Across three studies we find that Black Americans who perceive systemic racism to be permanent show decreased intentions to engage in collective action aimed at reforming current systems. Results indicate that this may not be the case for collective action aimed at dismantling or replacing current systems; Black Americans' intentions to support more revolutionary social justice is not diminished by beliefs in a permanent system. Furthermore, in Study 4 we demonstrate that this relationship may operate through efficacy. Participants who believe systemic racism is permanent are more likely to perceive action to be less effective and therefore indicate lesser intentions to participate.

Committee: Steven Spencer (Advisor); Lisa Libby (Committee Member); Kentaro Fujita (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Psychology

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Administration

This study examines and utilizes Critical Race Theory to understand how pedagogical training fails to train educators in recognizing and countering racism in standardized testing and General Equivalency Diploma (GED) preparatory courses. Black students continue to have the lowest pass rates in GED test performance based on a study of race and ethnicity, and this study examines a potential connection between the lack of critical pedagogy in GED preparational courses and the practices of GED teachers to address persistent inequities that add to race-based disparities. This research inquiry contributes to closing the race gaps in GED test scores for Black students by incorporating GED preparatory testing using critical pedagogy and multiculturalism to offer solutions to the ongoing and persistent failure rates in high-stakes testing. Examining educational disparities must include countering the lack of multiculturalism and anti-racist pedagogy in the GED test and preparatory courses. Existing studies of standardized testing examine educational disparities; however, insufficient research correlates failing high-stakes testing outcomes to the lack of anti-racist and critical pedagogy in curricular content, instructional teaching methods, and educational materials. The potential failure associated with utilizing high-stakes standardized testing has correlated implications of the need to examine the content of the test, the pedagogical training of the teachers, and how students' racial identity influences the outcomes. The GED preparation courses prepare individuals to pass the GED test, which allows individuals to pursue higher education degrees that could potentially lead to a higher quality of life, especially for marginalized communities. It is essential to examine alternative strategies to address the unique needs of Black students through analyzing critical pedagogical approaches that Freire states will challenge learners to analyze power structures and patterns (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Aaliyah Baker (Committee Chair); Carol Rogers-Shaw (Committee Member); Wesley Muhammad (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Black Studies; Continuing Education; Curriculum Development; Education; Educational Tests and Measurements; Multicultural Education; Pedagogy; Teacher Education

MA, Kent State University, 2023, College of the Arts / School of Art

Critical Race Theory is a school of thought that targets inequality and challenges established thought on racial disparities in society to identify and dismantle the systems that support these inequalities. Like many other societal systems, education can promote racial inequalities, funneling marginalized students into the school-to-prison pipeline. CRT can guide art educators to self-reflect and transform their art instruction and curriculum to promote environments and pedagogies that create equitable and inclusive educational opportunities for all students. Through a series of interviews with educators teaching through a CRT lens, the research has identified academic obstacles facing diverse students, examples of systemic racism upholding white supremacy, and strategies educators use to advocate for a higher-quality, equitable, and inclusive art education. Through the stories and experiences of art educators influenced by CRT principles, we can begin to understand the impact a socially ethical, inclusive, and equitable CRT-inspired instruction can have on a student population.

Committee: Linda Hoeptner-Poling (Committee Chair); Koon-Hwee Kan (Committee Member); Shana Klein (Committee Member); Suzy D'Enbeau (Committee Member) Subjects: Art Education

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, 2023, Psychology

Racial disparities among adults and juveniles pervade the current US (retributive) justice system, with White and younger offenders often getting more lenient treatment. Very little research has explored the possibility that Restorative Justice (RJ) practices may be subject to the same biases. The current study explored how opinions about RJ were impacted by the offender's racial identity, the offender's age, and factors associated with respondent's identification with the offender. Participants (N=225) were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 survey vignettes. Each depicted the same road rage incident but varied the race (African American, European American, Hispanic) and age (17 years old/35 years old) and accompanying mugshot photo. Participants rated the appropriateness of seven potential consequences, which included retributive justice and RJ practices. Contrary to predictions, no significant differences in consequence severity appropriateness ratings emerged across offender race, age, or their interaction. Overall, participants rated RJ outcomes as significantly more appropriate for all offenders than retributive justice outcomes. However, results indicated that participants' who reported higher racial bias rated more severe consequences as more appropriate for African American offenders and LatinX offenders but did not show this pattern for European American offenders. Racial bias showed significant positive associations with identifying as non-White (r = .37) and with political conservatism (r = .28). The findings suggest that RJ practices are viewed positively by most individuals and as equally appropriate for all offenders.

Committee: Susan Kenford Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Kathleen Hart Ph.D., ABPP (Committee Member); Jennifer Gibson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Criminology; Hispanic Americans; Psychology

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2022, Educational Leadership

The School-to-Prison Pipeline reflects the injustice that presents itself in our school systems. Strict Zero-Tolerance policies have led to the mass incarceration of specific communities of color. These policies have a hand in creating a revolving door that systemic racism has planted into our school systems. By drawing on the review of literature: Zero-Tolerance Policies, School-to-Prison Pipeline, Women in the School-to-Prison Pipeline, Systemic Racism and Discrimination, the literature provided context for addressing Black Women in the School-to-Prison Pipeline. The purpose of this study was to explore the lenses of six Black women over the age of 18 who were once incarcerated. Critical race theory and critical race feminism are the two theories that framed this research. Using this approach allowed for the six women in this study to tell their sides of their stories. The narratives of the six women will provide insight into their lives and provide help to all stakeholders involved in the educational system. Findings from the research indicated that dependency, family, financial disparities, negative school experiences and discipline are all key experiences that led Black women through the School-to-Prison Pipeline. This study reveals that there is a need for more attention to what is leading our Black girls into the prison system from school. There is attention needed from the community. There is also a need for schools to listen to each student and their individual needs. This dissertation offers possible solutions on how the schools can reach out more to their community stakeholders to bring in more programs for different students and enact change. INDEX WORDS: School-to-Prison Pipeline, Zero-Tolerance-Policy, Systemic Racism

Committee: Lucian Szlizewski (Committee Chair) Subjects: African Americans; Education

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2022, Psychology

Research regarding prejudice and racism has largely focused on instances of overt individual racism, lending to the belief that racism is the product of a few “bad apples” and has largely ignored the existence of systemic racism, until recently. Previous research has established that beliefs about systemic racism has implications for Black people's goal efficacy. It remains unclear, however, how these beliefs are affected by current events and the relationship they hold with collective action. Across three studies we examined whether attention to current events during the Chauvin trial would impact beliefs about the persistence of systemic racism and collective action intentions. The results consistently indicate that when Black people pay attention to current events, they are more willing to participate in collective action, though this is not always enough to change perceptions about the persistence of systemic racism. Additionally, Study 2 shows that when Black people pay attention to current events, they are more likely to engage in collective action, less likely to perceive systemic racism as persistent, and report greater goal efficacy. The evidence is consistent with two distinct models: 1) attention to current events affects perceptions of systemic racism which affects collective action intentions, and 2) attention to current events predicts collective action intentions which affects beliefs about systemic racism and in turn predicts goal efficacy. Future studies that could begin to establish the causality of these variables are discussed.

Committee: Steven Spencer (Advisor); Lisa Libby (Committee Member); Richard Petty (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2021, College of Education and Human Services

The lack of diversity among current licensed physicians is mirrored in the race/ethnicity of current medical students across the nation. In 2017-2018, there were a total of 89,904 medical students enrolled in U.S. medical schools, with 7% of those medical students who identified as African American (AAMC, 2019). This narrative qualitative study examined the lived experiences of three African American pre-medical and three African American medical students to understand their challenges and supports while pursuing a medical degree. Through semi-structured interviews, the study explored the academic, professional and social experiences that influenced their persistence from undergraduate through medical school completion. This study employed Critical Race Theory (CRT) to identify and address how racism, oppression, and power impact the lives of these African American students. Findings of the research indicated that African American underrepresented minorities in medicine experienced similar encounters of racism and oppression at the “Three Levels of Racism” (Jones, 2000), institutional racism, personally mediated racism and internalized racism, throughout their journey to become a doctor. Recommendations to disrupt all forms of racism, allowing students to gain a sense of belonging and academic persistence are related to increasing the African American physician workforce to increase URM mentorship; academic, social and mental health wrap around services; financial support; institutional leaders committed to equity and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles; and creating meaningful URM pipeline programs starting at the elementary school level.

Committee: Frederick Hampton (Committee Co-Chair); Catherine Hansman (Committee Co-Chair); Elizabeth Domholdt (Committee Member); Wendy Green (Committee Member); Katherine Clonan-Roy (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; African Americans; Health Care; Higher Education; Medicine; Public Health; Science Education

Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Music History

“The Star-Spangled Banner,” which serves as the United States' national anthem, has experienced a flux of controversial attention in the 21st century. The melody, which originates from a British song titled “To Anacreon in Heaven,” has been paired with a variety of lyrics in the U.S. dating before “The Star-Spangled Banner,” whose poetry was inspired by the War of 1812. Francis Scott Key, who authored the text of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” was just one of many U.S. citizens who utilized this melody in the 19th century to express their feelings about the country in regard to a particular historical event. Key, a lawyer and slave-owner, reveals his attitude toward the U.S. specifically in the three later verses of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which depicts the tragedies of slavery in the 19th century. Scholars such as Mark Clague, Carlos Abril, and William Robin have analyzed the national anthem's lyrics, as well as its performance practices, in context with the history of the U.S., tracing the transformation and function of the national anthem over the 200 years of its existence. This thesis explores the use of the national anthem in racial politics leading up to (and specifically in) the 21st century, the ways in which it does and does not adhere to the ideologies and democracy of the present-day United States, and its implicit representation of systemic racism that is highlighted by the social and political movement “Black Lives Matter.” Analyzing the function of the national anthem, its performance practices, and reactions to these practices, this thesis argues that “The Star-Spangled Banner” plays a role in upholding systemic racism by shining a light on its use as a vehicle of protest and political expression, a use that has been a defining characteristic of the original melody since it made its way to the U.S.

Committee: Mary Natvig Ph. D. (Advisor); Katherine Meizel Ph. D., D.M.A. (Committee Member); Ryan Ebright Ph. D. (Committee Member) Subjects: American History; History; Music

PHD, Kent State University, 2021, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of History

“What We Got to Say” examines a political period in hip-hop history during the late 1980s and early 1990s. This dissertation was partly inspired by contemporaneous examples of systemic oppression inside the criminal justice system as well as racial hostility that developed out of a series of police officer-involved shootings. It was in large part inspired by an intellectual curiosity to explore the connection between the failures of the modern civil rights movement and the politization of hip-hop. It argues that a hip-hop social movement emerged in this period to protest Ronald Reagan's expansion of the criminal justice system: the War on Drugs. The use of hip-hop culture, public rhetoric, and mass media as evidence was guided by a “new social movement” theoretical framework that emerged in the early-to-mid 1980s. The goal was to reimagine hip-hop-generated political activism during the height of the War on Drugs through the prism social movement theory to determine hip-hop's function as a Black sociopolitical struggle. The hip-hop social movement consisted of cultural productions in rap, politicized hip-hop films, anti-state critiques in rap journalism, and sociopolitical statements that hip-hop activists made in the mass-media. They produced political critiques that condemned hyper-social surveillance, extraordinary scrutiny, militarized policing, as well as mass incarceration. In doing so, the examined participants effectively placed the government, crime politics, and the criminal justice system on proverbial trial. The main points of this dissertation include the carceral state and how it plagued Black life in the post-civil rights era. Hip-hop-generated activism that nationalized the destruction of a racialized carceral state. Also, hip-hop activists that consisted of rappers such as Public Enemy, KRS-ONE, NAS, Ice-T, N.W.A., and 2Pac Shakur; filmmakers like Spike Lee, John Singleton, and Albert and Allen Hughes; as well as a handful of hip-hop jour (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Elizabeth Smith-Pryor (Advisor) Subjects: African American Studies; African Americans; History; Mass Media

MA, Kent State University, 2017, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology

This study examines the association between symptoms of mental health issues and self-reported recidivism in a sample of 642 male, system-involved youth over a period of 18 months. The sample comes from the `Research on Pathways to Desistance' study, designed by Edward P. Mulvey. Drawing on theories of systemic racism and disproportionate minority contact, as well as policies created during the `War on Drugs', I compare the experiences of African-American and White juvenile offenders. Findings from negative binomial regression analyses indicate that symptoms of mental health issues among juveniles are associated with all types of recidivism— namely, property crimes, violent crimes, and drug crimes—at some point during the 18 month follow up period, while controlling for: race; age; parental socioeconomic status; alcohol and drug use; perception of justice; exposure to violence; neighborhood conditions; and the proportion of time in the community and not secure-placement. This study highlights the need for more research examining racial disparities in recidivism and mental health, and the importance of considering symptomatology. By confirming the prevalence of symptoms of mental health issues among juveniles, the study also underscores the need to identify and treat mental health issues in order to prevent recidivism.

Committee: Tiffany Bergin Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Allyson Drinkard Ph.D. (Committee Member); Pamela Tontodonato Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Mental Health; Sociology

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2007, Education : Urban Educational Leadership

This study seeks to systematically uncover one part of the complex organism of systemic racism by analyzing the way in which the popular media defines the success of the public school in order to theorize possible explanations for the pervasiveness of educational inequality. Using Newsweek's report on America's “Top” High Schools, this research raises awareness to the reality of educational inequality in contrast to the myths created and sustained by the general media and current trends in classifying educational success. The study has three concomitant purposes: to analyze the way in which academic excellence and the educational success of schools are currently defined in American discourse; to investigate the attention of the media related to educational inequality; and to call for a deeper and broader response to educational inequality by grounding the debate in theoretical notions from Critical Theory, Critical Pedagogy, and Critical Race Theory. After a review of the literature related to educational inequality, the author launches the investigation into Newsweek magazine, its annual high school report, and the schools on its 2006 list. By presenting additional educational information on the Top 10 schools on Newsweek's 2006 list, significant gaps in student achievement and student composition reveal that educational inequality is not a factor in determining overall quality according to Newsweek's criteria. Information related to the debate surrounding Newsweek's report provides evidence that issues related to educational equality remain largely unaddressed by the dominant discourse. The broad implications are discussed in the context of key components from Critical Theory, Critical Pedagogy, and Critical Race Theory such as hegemony, ideology, discourse, the purpose of education, race as factor of inequity, and the role of counter-storytelling. Through an analysis of Newsweek, its annual report, and the debate surrounding it, the author concludes that Newsweek (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Kent Seidel (Advisor) Subjects: