African American Studies Professor Deborah Whaley, an expert on race and gender in graphic novels and comics, explains why the genre can be an inviting medium for complex conversations in Iowa Magazine.

What is the interesting, yet too little explored, intersection between the golden age of jazz and Islam in the African American community? How did one inform and influence the other? Dr. Richard Brent Turner joined Prof. Mark Anthony Neal to discuss his latest book, "Soundtrack to a Movement: African American Islam, Jazz, and Black Internationalism," published by NYU Press.

Public policy in the United States often overlooks wealth. We tend to design, debate and measure our economic policies with regard to income alone, which blinds us to the ways prosperity and precarity tangibly function in people’s lives. And that blind spot can ultimately prevent us from addressing social inequality at its roots.

Faculty in African American Studies have been interviewed, presented awards, published articles, and much more over the past year.

Ashley Howard, Assistant Professor of African American Studies and History, has been given the Communicating Ideas Award. This award recognizes excellence in communication about research and scholarship in the sciences and humanities and the study of creative, visual and performing arts to a general audience directly or via print and electronic media.

Professor Alfred Martin, Jr. was interviewed by Charity Nebbe on Iowa Public Radio's Talk of Iowa podcast to discuss his latest book, The Generic Closet: Black Gayness and the Black-Cast Sitcom.

Assistant Professor of Sociology and African American Studies Victor Ray was interviewed for two articles: one by Nature News on Biden's appointment of Dr. Alondra Nelson to the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the other by USA Today about the potential impact of Kamala Harris’ vice presidency on corporate policy towards Black women.

Professor Deborah Whaley has been quoted, interviewed, and published in a number of publications recently, along with being featured on panels and as a speaker for recent events. Her co-edited book, Keywords in Comic Studies is forthcoming in June 2021.

Assistant Professor Louis Seamster was quoted in the New York Times' article "Student Loan Cancellation Sets Up Clash Between Biden and the Left" from December 10, 2020. In response to President-elect Joe Biden's endorsement for canceling $10,000 in federal student loan debt per borrower, Professor Seamster talks about the effect the coronavirus pandemic has had on Universities and Colleges.

Victor Ray is the 2020 Distinguished Early Career Award recipient from the American Sociological Association Section on Racial and Ethnic Minorities. This award recognizes exceptional achievement and scholarly contribution to research on the sociology of race and ethnicity.