Engaging Our Communities: Transformative Scholarship for Dismantling Anti-Black Racism and Fostering Black Joy

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of joining my colleagues, Drs. Natasha Johnson, Charles Lea, and Marissa Thompson, on a panel hosted by the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement and moderated by Dr. Courtney Cogburn. We had a beautiful conversation about the meaning and significance behind our work to challenge anti-Black

Keynote at the Society for Research on Adolescence Conference

I had the pleasure of conducting a keynote presentation for the Society for Research on Adolescence on the transformative role of media in Black youth’s psychosocial development. Here are a few key takeaways from this presentation: Check out these papers for examples of how I have explored these concepts in my work. Anyiwo, N., Richards-Schuster,

New Beginnings: Columbia School of Social Work

I am incredibly excited to be joining the faculty at Columbia University’s School of Social Work in the summer of 2022. My appointment is part of a cluster-hire across the university focused on Race and Racism scholarship. I’ll be joining CSSW with Dr. Rob Eschmann, an amazing scholar who focuses on the intersections between race,

Recasting the Moment: Professor Howard Stevenson on Creating Change Through Racial Literacy

I am so incredibly grateful for the amazing work being done by my mentor Dr. Howard Stevenson. Earlier this semester, the Penn GSE magazine featured him and I had an opportunity to make a few comments on his leadership and his work. Check this article out to learn more about Dr. Stevenson’s work on racial

Suffering from racist acts can prompt Black teens to constructive action

I was recently quoted in Science News for Teens, a news outlet that breaks down academic science articles for an adolescent audience. My commentary focused on breaking down the implications of a new study led by my colleagues Elan Hope & Chauncey Smith focused on identifying how Black youth’s experiences of racial stress related to

Dr. Nkemka Anyiwo featured on ABC 6 to discuss trauma produced by police shooting videos

Grateful to provide commentary on the impact of police shooting on our mental health with my sis Shamm Petros. Seeing images of our people being killed and dying is traumatizing and takes a toll on our mental health. Sometimes we watch with the goal of tapping into our collective pain and bearing witness to the

Examining racial attitudes in virtual spaces through gaming

I had an opportunity to contribute to this amazing project using virtual reality to examine youth’s emotional and behavioral responses to racial discrimination in school settings.

Society for Research on Adolescence’s Emerging Scholar Spotlight for February, Dr. Nkemka Anyiwo

I incredibly excited to have been featured as the Society for Research of Adolescence’s Emerging Scholar Spotlight for February 2020. In this feature, I discuss my academic journey and give tips to emerging scholars. Advice For Emerging Scholars Be sure that your work is not disconnected from the people who you study. Remember that youth

Nkemka Anyiwo joins the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania as an NSF and Provost Postdoctoral Fellow

I am excited to announce that I have joined the University of Pennsylvania community. I look forward for an opportunity to learn from and contribute to my new home!

PhD Candidate Nkemka Anyiwo successfully defended her dissertation “‘We gon’ be alright’: Racism, Media, and the Sociopolitical Development of Black Youth.”

I successfully defended my dissertation! So grateful and excited to have completed this journey. There is so much that can be said about the significance of this moment but for now, I just want to give God, the ancestors, my family, my mentors, and my friends all the love and gratitude for their support.