Khalilah L. Brown-DeanDr. Khalilah L. Brown-Dean is a nationally-known and respected expert on the political dynamics surrounding the American criminal justice system. Brown-Dean is an associate professor of Political Science at Quinnipiac University.OpinionTeaching Through TraumaTrauma nestles in the crevices of our memories. It burrows in our shoulders, lies dormant in our muscles, and creeps in via a smell, a word, or even an unrecognizable reminder of the pain of the past. For our students, those triggers can be class discussions on controversial topics like the Department of Education’s retreat from addressing sexual assault or debates about sexual misconduct during judicial confirmation hearings.January 7, 2019OpinionGiving Thanks Amid Political UncertaintyIn my family Thanksgiving has never been about pilgrims having a mythical dinner with Indian tribes they tried to eradicate. Instead, Thanksgiving provides an opportunity to show our gratitude for family, friendship and community. Over the last year, however, the mood in the United States has felt incredibly heavy. From mass acts of violence that have claimed the lives of innocent Americans to the more mundane political battles that amplify longstanding tensions, finding gratitude in this contentious political space seems elusive.November 20, 2018OpinionOn Citizenship and VotingCitizenship has never been a requirement for U.S. military service. Immigrants and non-citizens have fought in every U.S. military conflict since the Revolutionary War.November 4, 2018OpinionThe Hate We Give: Voting Against ViolenceLifting your voice can be subversive. This is a lesson learned by Starr Carter, the main character in Angie Thomas’s debut novel The Hate You Give. Thomas shattered that mold by crafting a complex narrative of the repeated messages that tell young people their lives have less meaning than others simply because of where they live, who they love and how they look. The book is an affirmation of the beauty of young people and their ability to challenge the boundaries of community both real and imagined: “Your voices matter, your dreams matter, your lives matter. Be the roses that grow in the concrete.” Let’s be roses. Together.”October 29, 2018Native AmericansStill Separate, Still Unequal: American Indians and Election 2018To be sure, the legacy of conquest meant that American Indians and enslaved Africans were often forced to live in close proximity to each other. This proximity resulted in a number of blended families and children of mixed racial heritage who were discriminated against in distinct and overlapping ways based not on their self-identity, but on social identity.October 20, 2018SportsFeminism, Womanism and Election 2018As we stand a month away from the midterm elections, we do so as a record number of women of color are running for office. Congressional candidates like Rashida Tliab of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Jahana Hayes of Connecticut. New Mexico’s Deb Haaland and Sharice Davids of Kansas are poised to become the first American Indian women ever elected to Congress. Their entry would come over 190 years after Hiram Revels of the Lumbee tribe was elected as the first African -American and first American Indian to enter the legislature.October 12, 2018Opinion“The Stakes is High”As we stand just one month away from the 2018 midterm elections, it is imperative to remind people that perhaps now more than ever, “the stakes is high.” Voters will have the opportunity to raise their voices on myriad issues of mutual concern. From setting the tone for U.S. foreign policy that will address global terrorism and economic security, to installing prosecutors and law enforcement officials who will uphold civil rights protections for all citizens, the stakes is high.October 3, 2018African-AmericanAretha Franklin, John McCain, and the Meaning of LegacyLast week my twin obsessions with politics and pop culture collided as I joined millions of viewers watching the remembrances of soul singer Aretha Franklin and Senator John McCain. On the surface, it seems that these two American icons were remarkably different.September 7, 2018OpinionThe Opposite of ProgressThe slate of 2018 decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court has a direct impact on questions previously settled in American history. The failure to protect access to voting, representation and labor return us to bygone eras when the interests of underrepresented groups were deemed insignificant.June 28, 2018Native AmericansAs American as Apple PieAmerica isn’t divided by pundits and peddlers. It isn’t divided by vacuous political labels that tell us little about people’s commitment to mutual progress. Our country is divided because promoting the politics of exclusion is as American as apple pie.June 21, 2018Previous PagePage 2 of 4Next Page