Joey Jennings is a Sociology Doctoral candidate at the University of Maryland-College Park, a recipient of the 2019 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and a graduate of Winthrop University. His research critically investigates conversations about race, colorism, intersectionality, and resistance.
Joey’s dissertation work is titled “Beyond Runaway Advertisements: A Study of Enslaved Resistance, Gender, and Colorism” which employs hand-coded runaway advertisement data from the late colonial-era to investigate the finer nuances of U.S. slavery. Specifically, Joey details three related chapters: “Shades Beyond Light and Dark” is a scoping review expanding the historical documentation of skin color terminology to inform contemporary understandings of the linear transmission of these color names; “Evaluating Blackness” empirically unravels connected enslaver attachments to skin-color to address the value writers ascribed to color variations of Brown skin; and “Gendered Resistance” is an intersectional theoretical study that details the erasure of Black women as active participants and leaders in resistance efforts during the institution of slavery. While his work is rooted in historical data, he remains clear that the institution of slavery continues to shape contemporary society. It is essential to deepen an understanding of the finer nuances of this institution to best confront the enduring legacies of slavery in the United States.
Joey is also a Part-Time Instructor at George Washington University, where he teaches innovative and engaging courses on Race and Minority Relations and Introduction to [Black] Sociology. Joey's courses are designed to foster student growth and engagement by placing a strong emphasis on individual creativity and nurturing students' intellectual curiosity. With a firm belief in the potential of young people to shape the future, he tailors his teaching pedagogical methods to recognize the individual that exists beyond the student. Moreover, he has refined his skills beyond academia working as a Research Intern with the Brookings Institution’s Valuing Black Assets Initiative and as a Research Consultant with Black Onyx Management.
Joey is a former NCAA Division-1 Track and Field athlete, Winthrop University’s Pole Vault record holder, and a self-proclaimed Hip-Hop Musicologist.
Areas of Interest
- Race/Ethnicity
- Intersectionality
- Resistance
- Colorism
- Social Inequality
- Sociology of Sport
- Racialization
Degrees
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M.A.University of Maryland, College Park: Sociology
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B.A.Winthrop University: Sociology Major with Spanish Minor
Awards
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2019-04-01National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program award winner
Conferences
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Joey N. Jennings “Evaluating Blackness: Investigating the Nexus between Perceived Complexion and Reward Scaling in Enslaved Runaway Advertisements” American Sociological Association, Annual Meeting (Montréal, Québec).
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Wayne Santoro & Joey N. Jennings “The Colonial Freedom Movement: Slave Revolts and Divided Colonizers, 1619-1788” American Sociological Association, Annual Meeting (Montréal, Québec).
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Joey Jennings “Run! Enslaved Resistance, Gender, and Colorism as Seen through Runaway Slave Advertisements” Eastern Sociological Society, Annual Meeting (Baltimore, MD).
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Jennings, Joey. “Color-Coding: A Finer Look at Colorism Processes during Colonial [U.S.] Slavery” an empirical chapter from my upcoming dissertation. Association of Black Sociologists, Annual Meeting (Chicago, IL).
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Joey Jennings; Research Mentor: Maria Aysa-Lastra “Race Relations and Police Brutality” Eastern Sociological Society, Annual Meeting (Philadelphia, PA).
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Joey Jennings, Letisha Brown, Stephanie Jones, Danielle Koonce, and Rod Martinez “Black Activism and Resistance within Racialized Organizations” The North American Society for the Sociology of Sport, Annual Meeting (Virginia Beach, VA).
Research
- Jennings, Joey N. 2024. “Shades Beyond Light and Dark: Analyzing Color Names in Runaway Advertisements of Enslaved Persons.” Currently Under Review.
- Santoro, Wayne A., Joey N. Jennings, and Robert Brame. 2024. “The Colonial Freedom Movement: Slave Revolts and Divided Colonizers, 1619-1788.” Forthcoming.
- Jennings Joey. 2024. “An Introduction to Derrick Bell” in Fifty Key Scholars in Black Social Thought, edited by Marie Jipguep-Akhtar and Nazneen Khan. Routledge.
- Jennings, Joey and Carter Yunyu Teng. 2023. “After Affirmative Action: Reflections from Other Siblings.” Contexts: Sociology for the Public.
