My current research focuses on African American history and culture. I have had the opportunity to participate in several research projects, such as the renovation of the "Education and Empowerment" exhibit at Bradley Academy Museum and Cultural Center.

 

My dissertation research focuses on the civil rights legacy of the late Republican, African American senator from Massachusetts, Edward W. Brooke, who co-sponsored the 1968 Fair Housing Act with then-Senator Walter Mondale and defended civil rights during his brief tenure in the Senate (1967-1979).

 

I incorporated oral histories of Senator Brooke as the basis for my dissertation. I conducted an oral history with Dr. Richard Arenberg, a campaign pollster for the late Senator Paul Tsongas, who defeated Brooke in the 1978 Massachusetts midterm election. The interview was not only insightful but also rewarding as Dr. Arenberg provided great context into the politics of the 1960s and 1970s. I also conducted several oral history interviews with older African Americans who lived through and participated in the Civil Rights Movement to provide context for my research.