About
Prior to joining the department, Ta'les worked as a news producer and studied communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research examines representations of black womanhood on television and social media platforms. More specifically, her Master's thesis focuses on the role of YouTube and its level of influence in the natural hair movement, a cultural phenomenon that encourages African-American women to cease chemically straightening their hair. Currently, Ta'les is interested in digital media and how Black web users use various platforms to challenge or reiterate stereotypes surrounding Blackness. Ta'les credits the development of her research interest to her time as a Ronald E. McNair Scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she earned her B.S. in Broadcast Journalism.
Field(s) of Study
- Black Women's Studies
- Stereotypes
- Feminist Platform Studies
- Algorithms and discrimination
- Black Popular Culture
