Voice of Consciousness

As a health disparities researcher, I conduct theory-engaged, policy-relevant analyses of the political economy of ethnoracial inequality. — Abigail A. Sewell (@aasewell) May 24, 2017 Hi folks! I am hosting a poll on Twitter @aasewell as I prepare my materials for my re-appointment review. Can you help me out? Does the above description of my academic self best represent my research? What do you think? What needs to be modified or better specified? Check out this poll and let me know what you think in the reply comments.

It is my delight to return to the blogosphere with news from The Race and Policing Project. In the first week of April 2017, we will host our first public event ! We are still rounding up co-sponsors (feel to volunteer!), so the flyer may be updated closer to the event. Just wanted to get the word out there! Please visit our Facebook Event page and share the word widely!  The State of Orange: Policing Practices Impacting People of Color An Interactive Panel Thursday, April 6, 2017 5:30-7:00pm PAIS 290 On Thursday, April 6, 2017 from 5:30-7pm, The Race and Policing Project will present "The State of Orange: Policing Practices Impacting People of Color” in PAIS 290. “The State of Orange” is an interactive panel that will address surveillance practices shaping ethnoracially-marginalized communities through immigration, deportation, national security, and mass incarceration policies. In particular, we will highlight pedagogical approaches to addressi...

This clip of #DEMSinPHL provides an insight on Hillary Clinton's thinking regarding the #BlackLivesMatter movement. The entire time of the #DNC, Hillary Clinton's connection to people as a mother. This was no exception. Honestly, Sandra Bland's and Jordan Davis's mother said very touching words; my heart was stirred. However, I wondered the entire time as I watched and re-watched this clip if these Mothers really understood what it would take to bring justice to this nation, as this nation condones, invites, rationalizes, and excuses police violence. The difficulty to attaining transformative justice that these Mothers did not address is that police violence is a form of state-sanctioned oppression. Police are protectors of the State. They are gatekeepers of the criminal justice that enforce the laws of the nation-state and its derivatives. Attaining transformative justice in this nation-state will require more than God's favor. It will require more than ...

Watching the RNC intermittently this week, including Monday and Thursday night, I am ever more convinced that moderates and liberals need to get up off of theirselves and go out and vote! Monday after watching the RNC, I posted to Facebook regarding their slogan, "Make America Great Again" . Bane of my existence. *smh*   I make the argument in the post that we don't need to make America great again -- it's the greatest it has ever been, especially for nonwhite folks. No, we need to "Make America Just, NOW!" People pick up phrases like "Make America Great Again" partly because they believe it, partly because it resonates with their sociopolitical preferences, and partly because it's catchy. It may not be catchy to say, "Make America Just, NOW!" But that's what this country needs today. And, I am soundly convinced we will not get Just in a Trump America. So, I encourage you to go out and vote for Hillary Clinton come Nov...

Wednesday evening I went to visit with a friend in DC, and ended up at a Black Lives Matter  protest . It is not the first time I have ended up at a protest in the name of friendship and love, but this protest I won't forget. It was not just peaceful; It was festive. This is a short unedited video of #BlackLivesMatter protesters dancing as the sun goes down.  #BlackLivesMatter DC occupied the National Fraternal Order of Police (#FOP) for approximately 17 hours, starting about 5am on Thursday and ending around 10pm. I came in around hour 14. The organizers ultimately decided to end the occupation with a party preceded by libations to the victims of (extra)legal brutality, including Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Amadou Diallo, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, and many more. Black protesters were asked to stand behind a row of red cups laid out in the street. Each of the cups had a name of a victim written in black permanent ink. Protesters were asked to #SayTheirName af...

Researchers! We are looking for manuscripts at the intersection of race and policing. Authors must contribute themselves to the Race and Policing Research Repository ("opting-in"). To contribute to the Repository as an author, please send a publicly shareable version of an article you have written to theraceandpolicingproject@gmail.com  using the Send Email button at the top of our Facebook Page . PDFs preferred.  For guidelines on what formats of your manuscripts are shareable, see your journal or distributor at SHERPA/RoMEO . Note, the few journals/distributors allow the sharing of the final, formatted draft of the manuscripts. Please check with SHERPA/RoMEO to be clear about what version of your manuscript (e.g., peer-reviewed vs. pre-peer-reviewed; personal copies; open-access) you can share with us. By sending us this email, you are acknowledging that the version of the manuscript that we receive does not violate copyright infringement laws.