She earned a Ph.D. in English – Literary & Cultural Studies from The University of Memphis. Her research and teaching areas focus on American Literature with an emphasis on African American Women's Literature. She recently published the article, "In Search of Diversity: Dick and Jane and Their Black Playmates," in Making Connections: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Cultural Diversity; the introductory essay, "Zora Neale Hurston: Coming Forth as Gold," for the book Zora Neale Hurston: An Annotated Bibliography of Works and Criticism (Scarecrow Press, June 2013); and the book chapter, "Seraph on the Suwanee: Hurston's 'White Novel'" in the book Critical Insights: Zora Neale Hurston (Salem Press, May 2013). Currently, she is editing the book, The Real Scandal: Portrayals of Black Women in Reality TV, and she is writing a book, More Than Just The Help.