Research and Writing
My work sits at the intersections of history, sociology, Black studies, and social movement studies, examining how these fields shape our understanding of racial justice and social transformation. My dissertation analyzed the paradoxes and potential of US participatory democracy movements in the 21st century, focusing on the way organizational structures shape movement outcomes. Currently, I compare 20th-century Black movements in the US and Brazil, analyzing their views on national history, racial identity, democracy, and justice, as well as their strategies for change. This transnational approach uncovers interconnected histories of slavery, capitalism, racialization, emancipation, and antiracist resistance.
My ongoing project examines the intellectual contributions of W.E.B. Du Bois and Florestan Fernandes, two pivotal thinkers shaped by engagement with social movements. I highlight the overlooked parallels in their work, particularly their shared analysis of the enduring link between slavery and capitalism and the systemic super-exploitation of Black people. Both offer a radical rethinking of democracy that challenges liberal frameworks, envisioning a system rooted in racial justice. At the same time, their diverging views on white supremacy’s role in shaping possibilities of true emancipation provide key insights into the complexities of racial and social transformation.
Featured Writing: “‘Defund the Police’: Strategy and Struggle for Racial Justice in the US”
I wrote this book chapter to offer a deeper look at the 2020 uprisings – not just as a response to police violence, but as the result of years of organizing, care work, and vision-building. “Defund the police” emerged from a long tradition of Black radical and abolitionist thought, and I trace how mutual aid, pandemic-era organizing, and growing distrust in state institutions set the stage for this demand. The chapter invites readers to think about how strategy, struggle, and solidarity shape social movements while providing a starting point for key theories in social movement studies.
Featured Writing: Contradições da horizontalidade: uma análise do mo(vi)mento Occupy Wall Street e da insurgência no centro do capitalismo global
This book is the first to offer Portuguese speakers an insider-outsider perspective on Occupy Wall Street, challenging romanticized narratives while still honoring the movement’s bold democratic experiment. As a Brazilian scholar trained in both Latin American and US academic traditions, I’m committed to fostering international conversations within and about the Left – an effort also involving the translation (literally and figuratively) of struggles.