Senior Honors Thesis 2018

White People Do Coke and Black People Smoke Weed: A Sociohistorical Analysis of Drug Use and Ethnicity in the United States

Brennen Carter is an American Studies major. His thesis examines how drug policy in the United States has affected different ethnic groups and examines the possible outcomes tied to drug normalization. Thesis advisor: Professor John Clapp

Afros and Attitudes: Black Girls and the School to Prison Pipeline

Shernae Hughes is an American Studies major, she is also majoring in Political Economy. Her thesis examines how patriarchy and race shape educational and work experiences for Black women. Thesis advisor: Thomas Gustafson

‘My Nigga’, Not Yours: If You’re Not Black Don’t Say It

Niko Phillips is a major in African American Studies as well as a major in Law, History, and Culture. Her thesis asks whether the regular use of the n-word by rappers legitimizes non-black use of the n-word? She also examines how black Twitter users police certain uses of the n-word by non-black people. Thesis advisor: Lanita Jacobs.

Marching To The Beat: Why Storytelling Is Crucial To Writing Successful Protest Songs In The Contemporary Music Scene

Tom Rubio is an American Studies major. His thesis uses folk music and hip hop to examine the convergence between social activism and music. Thesis advisor: Professor Sean Nye

Mayans Son Sobrevivientes:
The Political Erasure and Hidden History of the Civil War

Nemesis Salguero is an American Studies Major. Her thesis reviews how the Guatemalan Civil War created a culture of violence that subjected indigenous Mayans to political and cultural erasure. She shows how Mayans used cultural practices to resist devastating violence. Thesis advisor: Professor Juan De Lara