writer. researcher. academic

I am currently a Research Associate in Sociology at the University of York, working as part of an international team on the project Archiving the Inner City: Race and the Politics of Urban Memory. I studied for a sociology PhD at Goldsmiths College, my project supported by the Economic and Social Research Council. My thesis, The Realities of Black Single Mother-Son Dyads, analysed accounts of motherhood and young manhood in single parent households in London. The findings of this work have begun to be disseminated through essays and articles and the well-received graphic pamphlet, Beyond the Myth: Single Black Mothers and Their Sons. Informed by my study and the latest academic research, I deliver talks and workshops on single motherhood and related topics.

Previously, I taught sociology and criminology at Goldsmiths as an Associate Lecturer and worked on research projects at Open University and University of Cambridge. I studied for a master’s in Social Research Methods at the LSE and an undergraduate degree in Sociology at University of Surrey. My studies were completed from access course to PhD level from age 29 while caring as a single parent. You can read more about this journey here.

On account of my work and personal experience I am committed to changing the narrative about single black motherhood and single motherhood generally. If you would like to be involved in this work do contact me.

* the latest *

I made a graphic pamphlet based on my PhD research with single black mothers and men raised by them. Its glorious illustration is by the multi-skilled creative, Chikaboo Designs. Beyond the Myth can be downloaded for free here, and printed copies are available on request for £2.50.

The pamphlet distils my 80,000-word thesis into an accessible 15-minute read. The process of bringing the pamphlet to life was fun and exciting but the project has a serious purpose: to encourage the reader to re-think any assumptions held about single parenting and single black mother-households. I am interested in hearing any comments, thoughts or questions you might have on the content.