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Justice for Black women
drives PhD student鈥檚 research

(from A&S Magazine)

Cassy Gonzalez, a 2013 WGST graduate, has completed her PhD in Ethnic Studies from CU 麻豆影院, with her dissertation, "". "Although the grad school does not do honors for doctoral students, I and the committee granted Cassy鈥檚 dissertation a Pass with Distinction," noted Dr. Hillary Potter, who served as chair of Dr. Gonzalez's doctoral committee. Other committee members included Dr. Celeste Montoya, Dr. Polly E. Bugros McLean of Media Studies, Dr. Arturo Aldama of Ethnic Studies, and Dr. Beth Richie from the University of Illinois Chicago. Dr. Gonzalez also received her bachelor's in sociology from CU 麻豆影院 in 2013, as well as a master's in sociology in 2017 while also completing the Graduate Certificate in Women and Gender Studies. She was the recipient of several grants and awards while at CU 麻豆影院, including a full year of funding from the Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Dr. Gonzalez is now an assistant professor at Sam Houston State University, in their College of Criminal Justice. She is the author of several articles and book chapters, including a chapter on human trafficking that will appear in the upcoming book Encyclopedia of Race, Crime, and Justice: an American Mosaic (Greenwood Press 2021).

Abstract: This dissertation examines Black women鈥檚 lived experiences as survivors of sex trafficking and self-identified former prostitutes. This exploratory study is a qualitative examination of the lived experiences of Black women survivors using one-on-one interviews and with reflections from observations of a state-wide human trafficking council. This dissertation is an interrogation of how systemic racism and histories of chattel enslavement influence contemporary sexual violence and survivors鈥� navigation of the criminal legal system before, during, and after being trafficked. Using in-depth interviews with 13 Black women who identify as survivors of sex trafficking and former prostitutes, the analysis demonstrates that Black women sex trafficking survivors and those who identify as former prostitutes had variations of experiences with the criminal legal system, specifically interactions with law enforcement, that influenced their criminalization and victimization.

Black women sex trafficking survivors reported higher instances of physical and sexual violence when encountering law enforcement, including when outcrying about their exploitation, across different regions of the United States and ages, including when they were trafficked as children and adults. Survivors of sex trafficking were also incarcerated for their victimization at higher rates than their counterparts who identify as former prostitutes. I term this amplified victimization, wherein the violent actions of law enforcement during their sexual exploitation compounded their victimization and expanded their trauma with another manifestation of violence, leading to the simultaneous experiences of interpersonal, community, and then state violence amplify the harmful impacts of each other.

In contrast, respondents who identify as former prostitutes detailed diplomatic interactions with law enforcement that ranged from police officers being sympathetic to sharing a friendly camaraderie. All narrators in this study perceived all Black women to be stereotyped as the 鈥淛ezebel鈥� archetype of a sexually wanton Black woman who cannot be sexually violated and often connected the history of sexual terrorism of enslaved African and Black women with the unique vulnerability of sex trafficking in the contemporary setting. This research also deconstructs the anti-trafficking movement itself and reveal what 鈥渏ustice鈥� means for Black women survivors of trafficking and how it is achieved outside of institutional responses.

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Two trailblazing LGBTQ activists met with the students from our Introduction to LGBTQ Studies class, to discuss their lifetime of advocacy and their relationship which began at CU 麻豆影院 50 years ago. Vivienne Armstrong and Dr. Louise Young visited virtually on Tuesday, October 12th, in this class taught by Dr. Emmanuel David, co-director of the LGBTQ Studies Program. Their visit coincided with National Coming Out Day, and gave the students a chance to have a "conversation across generations," and to learn more about the personal histories of these two powerful women.

"They met in April 1971, here in Colorado," Dr. David explained, "and in the decades that followed they've dedicated considerable time and energy to bringing about a more just world for those within the LGBTQ community."  Louise was a graduate student at CU 麻豆影院 studying geography, living in a boarding house behind The Sink, and Vivienne was working as a nurse in Denver, when they found themselves at the same Conference on World Affairs program on 'lesbianism'. "Believe it or not, the panel was all men," Vivienne noted, "and the women who were in the Gay Liberation Front at that time, we felt very strongly that there should be women represented on that panel, and not just men." A few of the male panelists stepped down, allowing Vivienne herself to take a seat on stage at Macky Auditorium. It was here when Louise and Vivienne first noticed each other, but they didn't get the chance to speak to each other until another chance meeting at a Gay Liberation Front meeting on campus a few days later.

It was organizations such as the Gay Liberation Front, as well as publications like The Ladder and ONE, that helped LGBTQ-identified people connect with each other, Vivienne and Louise explained, and noted that these early organizations and publications were born from the Stonewall Riots that took place in June 1969. "From my point of view," Louise adds, "I really didn't have much awareness when I went to 麻豆影院 in the fall of '68. The anti-Vietnam war movement really was what was predominant on campus at that time." They pointed out that much of the campus organization surrounding LGBTQ issues didn't exist much before Stonewall, and even afterwards, most of the publications and organizations they relied on were not based in Colorado, but on either coast.

After Louise graduated CU 麻豆影院 with a PhD in Geography she had expected to stay on as a faculty member at the small Oklahoma college, but the department dismissed her, claiming low enrollment numbers. Vivienne herself felt discrimination in her own job, and when Louise was offered a position with Texas Instruments, the couple immediately relocated. "We very soon became activists, because there's nothing like being stung to end up saying, 'Hey! You know I got I got a dog in this fight!', as they say here in Texas. And so we very quickly became activists, both politically and socially." Louise became the first open LGBTQ person on the Texas State Democratic Executive Committee, which "makes decisions about the way that the State Party will be run," she explained. She also served as a delegate to both the 1980 and 2000 Democratic National Conventions, "and it was very exciting for me to see even the changes that took place in that 20 year span, and how much more open the Democratic Party was on a national level." While Louise was employed with Texas Instruments, and later Raytheon, she was involved with workplace activism, and helped implement several non-discrimination policies and create domestic partner benefits in the defense industry. She also developed new branding with the Human Rights campaign for corporations to adopt, encouraging them to achieve "100% on the Corporate Equality Index," and mathematically proved that companies with non-discrimination policies enjoyed higher productivity from their employees.

It was coalition politics that Vivienne and Louise believe is what allowed them to make strides even in a conservative place like Texas. "Nobody gets anywhere doing anything by yourself," Vivienne remarked, and explained how they came to form the Lesbian Gay Political Coalition of Dallas, which had very broad support with women activists in their community, and worked to form relationships with other activist groups supporting Hispanic, Black and Asian communities. "It took coalescing and working you know politically with everybody to be able to to get them to understand us, and for us to understand their needs and to work together politically."

Vivienne's own political activism was noted by then Dallas-mayor Annette Strauss, who appointed her as a board member to the Health and Human Services Commission in the 1980s, which enabled her to secure funding and resources for people with HIV. "It was really nice to be able to see both sides my life coming together, both my professional life and my community efforts, to be able to get care for people who needed care. If I had not been working within the women's community, I don't know that Mayor Strauss would have even known who I was! So it all kind of comes together -- when you work together, you get good things done."

"I think that's good advice," Louise added, "and if you do want to make changes in the world and continue activism, that you remember the words that we have said -- that coalitions are so important and building coalitions with like-minded groups that have also suffered discrimination is very important. Be interested in issues other than just LGBT+ issues, that's very important."

Vivienne and Louise then discussed several of the cultural changes they have noticed surrounding LGBTQ issues in the past 50 years, including media representation, ever evolving terminology, and the increasing visibility of LGBTQ people in political office. They were pleased to witness the change in acceptance of gay marriage in the U.S., and discussed their own struggle in having their relationship legally recognized. Vivienne explained that after both their 2000 Vermont Civil Union and 2008 marriage in California, "we still had no legal rights in Texas. And so the Supreme Court in June of 2015 solved all of our legal problems, finally, because they recognized same sex marriage in all states."

When asked what makes them hopeful for the LGBT community in the future, Vivienne quickly answered, "You! The fact that you are in a class, that CU has a class -- you are our future! The fact that you can study [LGBTQ] history and know more, is what makes you able to go out there and change the world. It all happens one person at a time, each one of you has the ability to change something, somewhere, and make the world a better place."

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Robert Buffington published the article "," in the April 2021 issue of The Americas: A Quarterly Journal of Latin American History. He is currently on fellowship at the CU Center for Humanities and the Arts, and will be retiring from the university on December 31, 2021.

Leila G贸mez released her book Impossible Domesticity: Travels in Mexico this October, which "focuses on the ways 鈥榯he travel experience鈥� destabilized deeply held notions of race, class, gender, and culture and shaped narratives that countered orientalist and stereotypical representations of Mexico." G贸mez is the director of the Latin American Studies Center, and they recently organized two events: a discussion of, and that were also enjoyed by students in her course Gender and Indigeneity in the Americas through film and Literature. Dr. G贸mez is pictured below with her new puppy, Humboldt.

Samira Mehta appeared in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, as an author and photographer! She was excited to learn a picture she snapped with her phone of her friend's altar space was chosen as the cover photo for their September 2021 issue (pictured here, right). The issue also included her article, "Asian American Jews, Race, and Religious Identity." She was also excited for the opportunity to interview Laura Leibman at the American Jewish Historical Society in August, about her new book Once We Were Slaves: The Extraordinary Journey of a Multi-Racial Jewish Family. Dr. Mehta was recently invited to join the at the Library of Congress, which works to bridge the gap between scholarship and the policymaking community. Dr. Mehta also welcomed a new puppy, Daisy, into her family, pictured below with her cat, Quincy.

Celeste Montoya joined the board of the (CLLARO) - one of the oldest Latino advocacy organizations in the state, if not country. She will be presenting her new research on Chicana leaders in the CU Chicano movement at the "Los Seis de 麻豆影院, Race, and Memory Symposium" being held this Nov. 5th and 6th, along with two of her student research assistants. She has also recently published an article in the journal Sociology Compass titled "."

Kristie Soares has published the article "鈥� in the Summer 2021 issue of Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society. Just prior to its publication, she and her wife Emily welcomed their new son Marlo into the world! Congratulations and best wishes to Marlo and her moms!

Dr. Samira Mehta's new puppy Daisy has quickly become best friends with her cat Quincy

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We were happy to catch up with Emma Breitman, an alumna of the class of 2020 who graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's in women and gender studies, minors in Spanish and Ethnic Studies, and a certificate in LGBTQ studies. While at CU, Emma worked as a research assistant for Dr. Samira Mehta, assisted on a research project for Dr. Janet Jacobs, and also completed her honors thesis under the guidance of Dr. Emmanuel David, . Emma was also the recipient of the Joanne Easley Arnold Outstanding Senior Award, selected for her outstanding academic achievement and service to the department, and the campus through her work with CU Hillel.

After graduation, Emma began working with Hillel at Florida International University, as the Martha Escoll Springboard Fellow. "The majority of my role consisted of creating programming events for students that were related to various social justice topics," Emma explained. "Some of the events that I helped students coordinate included a speaker series about voter suppression with events about the disabled and trans communities and how they are targeted by voter suppression. I also helped coordinate a panel for Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Week where I brought in several people who identified as two-spirit to talk about Missing and Murdered Indigenous People and colonalism broadly speaking. All of these events also usually had some Jewish connection to help students understand that social justice is a Jewish value. A lot of times I think Jewish students feel like their Jewish and feminist identities are mutually exclusive, so a large part of my role was helping to bridge the gap and help students find out how the two can work together."

After her fellowship, Emma moved from Florida to Massachusetts for her new role as Executive & Development Assistant at the (JWA). Celebrating their 25th year, the JWA is a national organization dedicated to collecting and promoting the extraordinary stories of Jewish women, to inspire young people with remarkable role models and use Jewish women鈥檚 stories to excite people to see themselves as agents of change. "My current role at JWA is a lot more administrative," says Emma. "I do everything from processing incoming donations and working with donors to answering email inquiries about the archive. A lot of times this involves me researching the Archive so that I can answer these questions. It's really nice and feels like I still have the opportunity to learn and grow. Even though I mostly do administrative work, JWA is a very collaborative environment, so I often help provide feedback about upcoming programs. My work really changes on a day to day basis, but its really cool to be working for an organization that empowers the voices of marginalized Jews (women, trans people, non-binary people, queer people, etc)."

In this new role, Emma notes that she is constantly utilizing the research skills that she developed during her time at CU. "When fielding inquiries about our Encyclopedia, for example, I often have to do indepth research about specific historical figures and moments. My WGST degree, and especially the research that I did for my thesis, along with the research I did for Dr. Mehta, helped prepare me to think creatively and deeply when doing research.  It also greatly helped me to think critically and be a creative problem solver." Emma often has to problem solve issues with the JWA database, "although I don't always know how to fix things right away, the research skills I developed at CU always help me find a work around. And of course, on top of all of this, I am lucky to work at an organization where feedback on general operations is always welcome, so I am able to use the knowledge I gained at CU about race, class, gender, sexuality, etc. to help JWA continue to ensure its content is as accessible as possible."

When asked what she liked most about working for the JWA, Emma quickly explained why she is proud to be able to support such important work. "I am lucky that JWA has existed for as long as I have been alive, but before its inception the history of Jewish womxn and their involvement in feminism was extremely difficult to find out about. Reading JWA's content in undergrad in Dr. Mehta's class helped me better understand how my Jewish and feminist identities can intersect, and I have seen how the access to JWA's materials have also helped other young Jews feel more connected to their feminist and Jewish identities."

Learn more about the Jewish Women's Archive at

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To help raise awareness of this type of victim blaming and to show support for survivors of sexual assualt, the GJL organized to wear denim each Friday in October, as well as holding conversation in the UMC with other students. You can follow the Gender Justice League on their Instagram page at .

For more information on Denim Day, visit

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After serving as the chair of women and gender studies for the past year, Dr. Kaifa Roland was recently named the new director of the Pan African Studies Program at Clemson University beginning this fall. This multidisciplinary field grounds students in the histories, cultures, literatures, movements, and traditions of Africans, and provides a framework to encourage intellectual discourse on the African and African American experience.

Dr. Roland, previously associate professor of Anthropology, had been at CU since 2006, where she taught courses such as Anthropology and Race, Anthropology and the Next Generation of Star Trek; Brown Studies: A Toolkit for and about the Mixed and Multiracial, and Zora Neale Hurston, Anthropologist. She received her PhD in Cultural Anthropology from Duke University, and a master's degree in African Studies from Howard University, and is the author of Cuban Color in Tourism and La Lucha: An Ethnography of Racial Meanings (Oxford University Press 2011). Her current research includes a book project regarding AfroCubana entrepreneurial experiences, and journal articles about travel to Cuba - analyzing travel historically, and also writing with advice for first-time travelers.

We are thankful for all the work and leadership Dr. Roland provided to our department, especially during the unexpected difficulties encountered during the Covid-19 pandemic. She provided the faculty and staff with a sense of community, purpose, and direction, and though we will greatly miss her presence here, we are now stronger as a result of her leadership.

For more information on Dr. Roland's new position, visit

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Potter is the author of Intersectionality and Criminology: Disrupting and Revolutionizing Studies of Crime (Routledge Press, 2015) and Battle Cries: Black Women and Intimate Partner Abuse (New York University Press, 2008), and the editor of Racing the Storm: Racial Implications and Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina (Lexington Books, 2007). Her research generally focuses on the critical analysis of the intersections of race, gender, and class as they relate to crime and violence, including men's use of violence and intimate partner abuse against women of Color.

Currently on a research sabbatical through the end of the year, Potter's projects include a 7-years-long ethnographic project on the women and femme activists of Ferguson/St. Louis in the wake of the police killing of Michael Brown, as well as the second edition of her book Intersectionality and Criminology: Disrupting and Revolutionizing Studies of Crime (Routledge).

This spring, Potter will be teaching her popular course "Violence Against Women and Girls" as well as "Feminist Theories," a required course for all our majors and minors. She has already began moving into her office in the Hazel Gates Woodruff Cottage, and is excited to be a core member of our WGST community. Potter's expertise and experience are an amazing gain for our department, and we are honored to have her join us!

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