February 2023: Race and Racism Scholarship Initiative Event

This program highlighted the research contributions of recently hired Columbia faculty engaged in scholarship that elevates Black youth, promotes racial justice, and supports the dismantling of structures that hinder Black joy. Panelists described how their research makes room for Black joy, and will discuss how to engage with, and encourage, Black youth communities. 

An event recap is available here. 

Moderator

Courtney Cogburn, Associate Professor of Social Work and Associate Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Data Science Institute. Professor Cogburn employs a transdisciplinary research strategy to improve the characterization and measurement of racism and in examining the role of racism in the production of racial inequities in health. She is also conducting research exploring the use of emerging technologies, including computational social science to examine patterns and psychosocial effects of cultural racism and how virtual reality experiences can lead to changes in attitudes, social perception and engagement (empathy, racial bias, structural competence and behavior). 

Panelists 

Nkemka Anyiwo, Assistant Professor of Social Work, examines the sociocultural factors that promote the healing and empowerment of Black youth. The primary focus of her work is how media and other sociocultural factors promote the resilience and empowerment of Black youth, shaping their racial and sociopolitical identities.
 

Natasha Johnson, Assistant Professor of Social Work, is a personality psychologist and social work scholar who utilizes quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods to assess culturally-relevant developmental processes that facilitate resilience for Black youth. Her three research foci are: social identities, vulnerability and resilience in the context of racial discrimination, and racism awareness. She aims to reduce mental health disparities by developing and evaluating sustainable interventions that promote Black youth’s wellness.
 

Charles Lea, Assistant Professor of Social Work, investigates the intersectionality of race/ethnicity, class, and gender in educational, correctional, and neighborhood contexts, and the impact these issues have on the health and well-being of young Black men and boys at risk and involved in the juvenile and criminal punishment systems. The overarching aims of this work is to develop knowledge and build theory that informs policies, practices, and interventions that can promote resilience and healthy development among young Black men and boys’, as well as lessen their risk for health-compromising behaviors, arrest, incarceration, and recidivism.
 

Marissa Thompson, Assistant Professor of Sociology, focuses on the causes and consequences of racial and socioeconomic inequality, with an emphasis on understanding the role of education in shaping disparate outcomes over the life-course. Her current research explores, for example, the Black gender gap in educational attainment, parental choice of segregated schools, and the causal effects of a Michigan scholarship policy on college access.