Distinct Identities

The second edition of Distinct Identities continues to provide a sophisticated yet accessible introduction to the complexities of the politics, social structures, and cultural contexts that animate how women of color engage in and shape U.S. politics.

Nadia E. Brown is Professor of Government, Director of the Women's and Gender Studies Program and Affiliate in African American Studies at Georgetown University. She is a former lead editor of Politics, Groups and Identities, a journal of the Western Political Science Association. Dr. Brown is a founding board member of Women Also Know Stuff. She is also one of the American politics editors at The Monkey Cage. She is an award-winning author, anti-sexual assault advocate, and #AcademicMama. Her research interests lie broadly in identity politics, legislative studies, and Black women's studies. While trained as a political scientist, her scholarship on intersectionality seeks to push beyond disciplinary constraints to think more holistically about the politics of identity. Sarah Allen Gershon is Ray and John Uttenhove WomenLead Professor at Georgia State University. Her research focuses primarily on the incorporation of traditionally underrepresented groups (including women, and racial and ethnic minorities) into the American political system. Dr. Gershon's research has been funded by the National Science Foundation and published in numerous journals. She also co-authored (with Larry Berman, Bruce Allen Murphy, and Nadia Brown) the 9th and 10th editions of Approaching Democracy. Dr. Gershon teaches courses on research methods, women in politics, and campaigns & elections.

1. Introduction Part 1: Mass Behavior and Grassroots Mobilization 2. Same Qualifications, Different Identities: Evaluating Voter Perceptions by Candidate Sexuality, Race, and Gender 3. Black Lives Matter at the Intersection 4. Muslim Women in the United States and Experiences with Discrimination 5. Thinking Outside the (Ballot) Box: Analyzing the Political Creativity of Black Women-Led Organizations Mobilizing Voters In Baltimore 6. Pathways & Barriers: How Young Women of Color are Politicized in Chicago Part 2: Running for Office: Ambition and Candidate Experiences 7. Asian Americans Making Waves in City Halls and Beyond 8. Talking the Talk: Lori Lightfoot on Policing and Violence in Chicago 9. From the Bench to the Ladder? Gendered Local Political Experience and Latina Success in State Legislatures 10. Asian American and Pacific Islander Women Leaders & Political Communication 11. Different Paths to Political Ambition Through Sports for Black and White Women Part 3: Representation and Office Holding 12. Theorizing Kamala Harris 13. Sí, Ella Puede! Social Movements, Community Activism, and Latina Legislative Leadership 14. The Phenomenon of Autocannibalism and Black Women Judges' On-the-Bench Experiences 15. Holding Office in Native America: The Policy Choices of Native Women Legislators 16. "I'm A Mother First": How Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms' intersecting Identities Inform her Criminal Justice Reform Policies 17. The Squad Has Something to Say: Black and Latina Congressional Women, Twitter, and Representation during the Trump Era 18. A CROWN For All of Us: The Double Momentum Model of Policy Entrepreneurship