Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Virginia Tech
About
Dr. Letisha Engracia Cardoso Brown is an assistant professor in the department of sociology at Virginia Tech. Dr. Brown earned her BA in Africana studies from the University of Northern Colorado, and her Master’s and PhD in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin. Using a black feminist lens, Dr. Brown’s research focuses issues of social inequality broadly, including issues of race and racism through the lens of sports, social relationships and food, as well as black girlhoods. Dr. Brown’s work can be found in publications such as the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the Ethnic Studies Review, the South African Review of Sociology, the Palgrave Handbook of Feminism and Sport, Leisure and Physical Education as well as the online publication The Shadow League. Dr. Brown teaches courses such as Race and Ethnicity, Sociology of Inequality, Race and Racism and Plantation Politics: The Black Sport Experience.
Current Work:
My scholarship takes a Black feminist approach to the study of sport; social relationships and food; and girlhood. My current research focuses on Black athlete activism; faith, food and religion among Black women; and the study of Black girlhood from a personal perspective. These research projects aim to center the experiences of Black women in fields in which they are often marginalized (sports, food studies, and girlhoods). My upcoming research project is a book project that focuses on Black sportswomen such as South African runner Caster Semenya, WNBA player Maya Moore, tennis pro Serena Williams and gymnasts Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles. This book project aims to shed light on how Black sports women have contributed to movements towards racial justice and social change, and are at the center of issues such as gender verification, drug testing and more. This book will provide insight into the role that sport plays in society with an emphasis on race, gender, and class.
Research Area Keyword(s):
Black feminism; sports; race; gender; activism
