Amber B

- Research Program Mentor

Project ideas

How Social Media Perpetuates Danger to Black Americans

Social media these days are so accessible on our everyday devices such as phones, television, and news, which creates this question of how it is affected Black Americans mentality. May 25, 2020 was the moment that a black man was caught on camera being murdered by a police officer. Although this was not the first time, this event struck anger and fear in many Americans. Many protests took place in the many months following making them the largest protest in American history (Buchanan et al, 2020). During this time, many other police brutality videos on Black Americans resurfaced on social and new outlets. Also, recording circulated on social media of BLM protestors being gassed and shot at with rubber bullets. Approximately eight months later there was an attack on Capitol Hill. The attack consisted of around 2,000 - 2,500 Trump supporters raiding the Capitol in D.C with American and Confederate flags. After both of these events, there was continuous pressure and the presence of Black Lives Matter (BLM), police brutality videos, acts of White supremacy, and even the talking of a race war on social media. Through interviewing Black Americans, I hope to uncover how Black Americans are affected by the increase in police brutality videos and acts by the far-right wing on social media. Another goal of this research project is to determine how the spread of information in these outlets is putting Black Americans in a vulnerable position for mental and physical protection.

The Social Stratification of Sexual Misconduct: How Sexism, Racism, and Classism Determines a Sexual Misconduct Case

Sexual misconduct includes, but is not limited to, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. It is evident that there are racial and gender discrepancies in the legal system regarding whose case is pursued along with the sentencing outcome. This study analyzes the social stratification of the judge, victim, and the assailant to determine whether their social stratification position, judged by gender, race, and class, can help or hinder their trial. A social stratification scale is created to determine if and how their social stratification position helped or hindered their case. The case of Professor Anita Hill versus Judge Clarence Thomas is used to determine underlying sexism, racism, and classism presented in the trial by examining the rhetoric of disbelief that is utilized against women of color. The purpose of this study is to bring more awareness and historical precedence to the injustices that all women of color face when put against a system that is not in their favor. The study highlights how sexist and racist stereotypes affect sexual misconduct cases. Ultimately, it suggests that when applying a social stratification position, the Senators of the case and Judge Clarence Thomas are at a higher position than Professor Anita Hill, which played a part in the outcome of the trial.

Coding skills