Tomorrow marks two years since the death of George Floyd, who was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer during an arrest on May 25, 2020. The George Washington University faculty are reflecting on the somber anniversary. They’re available to provide opinions, expertise and commentary on a variety of topics including race relations (including bias and inequality); police reform; protests and extremists; and peace and conflict resolution.
To schedule an interview with any of the following experts, contact GW Media Relations at [email protected].
Jameta Barlow is an assistant professor of writing in the University Writing program. She has secondary appointments in the Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies and Department of Health Policy and Management. She holds a Ph.D. in psychology and has written extensively on black girls’ and women’s health, intersectionality, and restorative health practices in psychology.
Imani Cheers, an associate professor of media and public affairs and the Interim Senior Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education, is an expert on race in popular culture and can discuss the nationwide reaction to the killing of George Floyd.
Seamus Hughes is deputy director of the GW Program on Extremism. Hughes has authored numerous academic reports on extremism in America and this year, he was part of a New York Times team that won a Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting on law enforcement in America.
Antwan Jones is an associate professor of sociology at the George Washington University. Trained as a social demographer, he specializes in issues relating to race/ethnicity, social class and health. Dr. Jones conducts rigorous research to understand the relationship between where people live and a myriad of social outcomes, from chronic health conditions to the closeness that individuals feel to certain racial/ethnic groups.
Nicole Ivy is an assistant professor of American studies. She specializes in black visual culture, social and cultural history and black studies. She has written about racial formations, memory and the labor of representation.
Cynthia Lee is the Edward F. Howrey professor of law at the GW Law School. She has written extensively about police use of force and race and policing.
Peter Loge is director of the Project on Ethics in Political Communication and an associate professor of media and public affairs at GW. He specializes in communications and political strategy.
Gayle Wald is a professor of English and American Studies at GW. She specializes in African American literature, cultural theory, and race theory. In 2015, she published the book “It’s Been Beautiful: Soul! and Black Power Television,” about the historic PBS show Soul!, which brought a black power sensibility to television from 1968 to 1973. She also wrote the 2007 biography “Shout, Sister, Shout! The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe.”
Ronald Weitzer is a professor of sociology and a criminologist. Much of his research has investigated police-minority relations in the United States and in other nations, including Northern Ireland and South Africa. Dr. Weitzer can discuss racial profiling, police misconduct and racially biased policing. He is the co-author of Race and Policing in America: Conflict and Reform.