We are excited to introduce this WPSA Virtual Community “Decolonizing Political Science.” We are junior women of color political scientists of queer, working class, and first generation experience.

Building an Academic Pipeline: Safe Spaces for the Development of Junior Women of Color in Political Science

This is a new initiative that supports a pre-conference writing retreat for early-career women of color PhDs in Political Science. The first writing retreat was held before the 2020 Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association in Puerto Rico and convened junior women of color scholars from across institutions, geographies, and subfields. There is more work to be done for us and by us, the funds will be used towards a symposium and special issue written collaboratively by all of the participants at the first writing retreat to set the foundation for similar programs in the future. The special issue will cover what was structurally and communally gained out of the retreat experience, and why such efforts must be duplicated for the viability of women of color in the field of political science.

Learn about our projects here.

Learn more about the APSA Special Projects Fund and other 2020 awardees here.

The recent murders of innocent Black people have galvanized individuals to fight against the oppression of Blacks in this country. The Race and Capitalism Project, along with the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture, has organized a panel featuring historians, activists, and political theorists, Juliet Hooker (Brown), Barbara Ransby (University of Illinois), Vesla Weaver (Johns Hopkins), and Megan Ming Francis (University of Washington) to discuss “Anti-Black Violence and the Ongoing Fight for Freedom.”

This conversation took place July 7, 2020 at 12pm CST.