Race and Politics
Race and Politics Specialization
Race has been a defining issue in American politics for centuries. The department has several faculty members who focus at least part of their research agenda to the many important questions in this area of political science.
Faculty Specialization
Faculty Member | Ph.D. Degree | Research Area |
| Kesicia Dickinson | Michigan State University | Race and Ethnicity Politics, Gender Politics, Public Policy, Urban Politics, Survey Experiments, Campaigns, State and Local Elections, Political Parties, Interest Groups, Public Opinion and Mass Behavior, Criminal Justice Policy |
| Marvin King | University of North Texas | Campaigns & Elections; Congressional Behavior; Minority and Ethnic Politics; Party Politics; Voting Behavior; Political Participation |
| Jonathan Winburn | Indiana University | Representation; Public Policy; Redistricting; State Politics; Elections |
Research & Grant Examples
Perceptions of Black Candidates
Dr. Kesicia Dickinson focuses her current research on the perception of African American female candidates by potential voters. She fuses research into her classes because "students are very interested in what's happening in the world around them and they are often looking for the language to identify current events and understand them." One project looks at first generation students and students of color and how they take the information they gain around voting and voting engagement on college campuses back to their homes and families. They act as knowledge brokers by sharing this information with their families.
Resilient Economies
Dr. Marvin King led a series of state-wide meetings to provide professional development and networking for non-governmental organizations and other voluntary groups and institutions with a social mission. Supported by the Skoll Foundation and Higher Purpose Co. to champion the work of social innovators and build community wealth within Mississippi for people of color by supporting ownership of financial, cultural, and political power.
Black Racial Identity
In addition to many scholarly articles, Dr. Jonathan Winburn has authored or co-authored books on redistricting and gerrymandering, the Louisiana legislative Black Caucus, and black racial identity. In his co-authored Dimensions of Blackness, the authors suggest there is no single way to express black racial identity. They move away from blackness as binary and instead reveal what happens when black racial identity is conceptualized with "difference of opinion." Using a multidimensional perspective the book explores whether black racial identity differences among blacks influence political attitudes and behavior.