Academic Philosophy suffers from what’s been called a “demographic problem." In 2018, only 1% of full-time philosophy professors in the US were black and women professors totaled just 17%. Progress in recruiting underrepresented groups has lagged far behind other humanities disciplines, particularly in race and gender. I hypothesize, given that undergraduate syllabi contain texts predominantly written by white and male philosophers that students from underrepresented groups are less likely to major in philosophy. I am testing this theory using several years of syllabi records from the University of Utah Department of Philosophy. Using the Simpson’s Diversity Index, based on assigned readings, each syllabus is given a score that illustrates how representative of the different identities of philosophers and authors. For example, if a syllabus only includes authors with the same identity, this would score a 0. This pilot study will analyze the average scores by semester and year to create a longitudinal comparison. I expect the diversity of authors for assigned readings included in philosophy syllabi will correspond to the diversity of undergraduates in the major. This novel research study will add to the literature that supports diversifying the philosophical canon.

Black-White interracial marriage pairings are a very small portion of the marriage pairings that occur across all races. I believe that the racial history between Black and White individuals and the current racial stereotypes and forms of systemic oppression that exist discourage Black and White individuals from marrying interracially. This research seeks to understand the racial dynamics of Black-White interracial marriages through an analysis of location and propinquity; gender; and racial identity development. I will analyze these three points to determine how each aspect impedes or facilitates the occurrences of Black-White interracial marriages. My two hypotheses are: 1) In Black-White marriages involving White men and Black women, both spouses will have fully accepted their racial identity; therefore, conversations about race, gender, and location will play a pivotal role in their relationship; 2) In Black-White marriages involving White women and Black men, the Black man is less likely to make race a defining component of their marriage, thus neither will his White spouse; and conversations about race, gender, and location will not play a major role in their relationship. I will test these points of analysis through conducting semi-structured interviews with 12 interracial couples residing in Utah and Virginia. I will use the snow-ball method of sampling to collect participants. Furthermore, I will use an ethnographic approach to analyze each person’s response to my interview questions to connect them to my three points of analysis in hopes of determining how these factors affect Black-White marriages, specifically, when compared to monoracial marriages.

This research examines the definition of being Black within Black spaces, particularly within rap culture. Alyssa Michelle Stephens is an American female rapper that formerly went by the stage name Mulatto. Historically, mulatto has been used to label people who were half Black, half White. At the time of her first television appearance, Stephens stated that her use of this stage name was to serve as a representation of her mixed background, her mother being White and her father being Black. She was met with backlash through the use of this word deemed “derogatory.” Relying on scholarship on pop culture and Black women’s representations, this study critically analyzes Stephens’ identity negotiation through her reclaiming of the name “Mulatto.” Using a variety of cultural artifacts (e.g., social media, music videos, interviews, etc.), our analysis demonstrates how her embodiment of the label “Mulatto” illustrates the complexity of mixed-race identity politics with regard to the social construction of Blackness within the rap culture. We argue that through her conscious recognition of being mixed, critics felt as if Stephens was not claiming or wanting of her Black half, but rather capitalizing socially and economically on colorism and featurism to appeal to Whiteness. Along with that, her reclaiming of the label “Mulatto” could also be a way to dessentialize the social construction of Blackness within rap culture by publicly attempting to fully embrace her mixed-race identity. Ultimately, this becomes a turning moment of redefining Blackness within American culture, and particularly rap culture.

In 1987 there were approximately 2,500 women centers within the United States, however, as of 2019, there are now only around 400. Administrators on college campuses are closing women and gender centers at a rapid pace, despite evidence that women and gender centers are empowering resources and helping female students become leaders on their campus and within the community. With these closures, feminist scholars must look at the administrative logic, policy, and discourse to understand this spatial erasure. Drawing from gender, feminist, critical race, identity studies, and the use of archival research and interviews, this study examines the possibilities of publicly engaged research. First, I bring into question and analyze the shutting down and the failed reinstatements of the UNR Women’s Resource Center. Second, if the interviewees consented to having their stories shared as part of an effort to highlight the experiences of women in Nevada, they will contribute to the UNR Special Collections Digital Archives. By collecting these interviews future scholars researching women in Nevada, on campus, or the closure of these centers will have access to first-hand experiences. The findings of the archival research suggest that there is a connection between the Nevada System of Higher Education’s allocation of UNR’s budget and UNR’s closure of the Women’s Resource Center.