Her scholarly and teaching interests include the formation and political cultures of the African diaspora, Black popular culture (especially music), comparative ethnic studies, labor and working class studies, and African American history. She has received awards and fellowships from the Social Science Research Council, The Woodrow Wilson Foundation, University of Notre Dame, American Studies Association, Association of Black Women Historians, Emory University, and USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Her publications appear in The Western Journal of Black Studies, The Journal of Popular Culture, African and Black Diaspora, and Journal of Popular Music Studies. She is currently completing her manuscript, “Anthem: Movement Cultures and the Sound of Solidarity in the African Diaspora.”