RESEARCH
Dissertation
Title: Black Representation in Congress: Identity, Ideology, and Geography
​
Committee: Katherine Tate (Chair), Marion Orr, Wendy Schiller, Paul Testa
Peer-Reviewed Articles
McCray Gibson, Karra and Katherine Tate. "Black Legislators and the Politics of Squad Democrats in the U.S. Congress." Forthcoming in the National Review of Black Politics.
Testa, Paul, Tarah Williams, Kylee Britzman, and Karra W. McCray. "Does the Messenger Shape the Message's Effect? Race, Black Lives Matter, and the Efficacy of Social Movement Messages" Invited to Revise and Resubmit at the Journal of Politics.
​
Garcia, Jennifer, Karra McCray Gibson, Christopher Stout, and Katherine Tate. ``Does Descriptive Representation Matter More Now Than in The Past? A Reexamination of Black Faces in the Mirror in a Most-Racial Era." Invited to Revise and Resubmit at Politics, Groups, and Identities.
PUBLICATIONS & PUBLIC COMMENTARY
Click the links below to access my academic portfolio, a collection of peer-reviewed and professionally published research articles and summaries.
National Review of Black Politics
To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Sherice Nelson’s The Congressional Black Caucus: Fifty Years of Fighting for Equality is a historical analysis of the legislative success, challenges, and effectiveness of the largest race-based Caucus in the US House of Representatives. Grounded in a deep undertaking of archival research that features communication between caucus members, legislative activity, media coverage, and legislative effectiveness scores, Nelson presents an interesting argument about the role of Black congressional members and their impact on full citizenship and freedom for Black citizens within a racialized political environment.
Political Science Now
Generally, when people think of sovereignty, supreme authority, or power, they think about kings, queens, or a formal institution that makes and enforces laws. Wars typically serve as critical events to enforce such sovereignty, but how?
Political Science Today
As Head of State and Chief Administrator, the President oversees the operations and performance of the federal government. With this role, they also can limit the power of special interests, frequently speaking out against them and vowing to save their administrations from their influence. However, further examination of the White House reveals that the words and actions of the president do not always align. Presidents frequently engage with organized interests—but which interests tend to win meetings with the White House?
Political Science Now
Audre Lorde’s famous proverb, “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house,” points to the difficulty of critiquing oppression with the language or conceptual tools of the oppressor. But can the master’s tools be useful if transformed? An examination of Frederick Douglass’s rhetorical and oratorical skills provides insight into how the “master’s tools” can be reshaped and used for one’s liberation.
Political Science Now
With a never-ending news cycle and the dominance of social media, people are exposed to traumatic events far too often. It is difficult to capture those impacted accurately and the lasting effects of such trauma. We know that exposure to trauma is linked to unfavorable psychological effects, but how does such trauma shape political behavior?
Political Science Now
Often, people shy away from calling racism what it is – a system that perpetuates a fake sense of superiority among those of dominant racial groups. Instead of acknowledging the existence of racism and the way it’s sustained, people point fingers and place blame on the “few bad apples.” But who’s to blame for how racism and whiteness infiltrate society, individuals who deflect from discussing it, institutions that deny that it occurs, or both of them?
Political Science Today
As calls for decolonization escalate in various disciplines and fields, institutions must reckon with preserving their history and legacy. It may be relatively easier to memorialize someone, remove names from buildings or support restitution efforts for marginalized groups, but greater difficulty arises when attempting to deconstruct theories of development and how we understand the trajectory of progress within the global South. Is that even possible and if so, how?
Political Science Today
Blacks and Latinos have always been the largest ethnic minorities in the United States with Latinos surpassing Blacks as the largest racial minority within the last twenty years. Both groups are often seen as building coalitions to fight discrimination and advocate for the creation of more equitable and inclusive policies, but to what length will Latinos go to differentiate themselves from Blacks?
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
“Black Representation Among Commissioned Officers in the Biden White House,” outlines the representation of Black Americans among commissioned officers in the Biden White House. I find that Black Americans accounted for 11% of Biden's commissioned officers, compared to 22% of voters.
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
Of the 15 appointees who serve as chief of staff to a cabinet secretary in the Biden administration, only two are Black—just 13 percent of all chiefs of staff. By comparison, approximately 22 percent of President Biden’s votes during the 2020 general election were from the Black community.
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
"Racial Diversity Among Top U.S. House Staff"examines racial diversity among top staff in Washington, DC offices of the U.S. House of Representatives.People of color make up 38% of the U.S. population, but only 13.7% of all top House staff. Both white Democrats and white Republicans hire overwhelmingly white top staff, even though their districts are surprisingly diverse.
