Stephanie Jones

Stephanie Jones (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Black Study at the University of California, Riverside. Her groundbreaking research tackles housing inequality as an antiblack initiative in Oakland, critically analyzing the racial of housing and how Blackness is constructed within this framework. By theorizing dispossession through Black Geographies she provides profound insights into the spatial experiences of Black individuals. Steph constructs a robust framework for Geographies that addresses displacement while pioneering a scholarly approach to understanding the historical antiblack projects influencing today's housing crises.

 

Coming from Oakland, California, where she conducted her dissertation research, Steph earned her BA from the University of California, Merced, followed by three years in the non-profit sector. She achieved her MA from Northern Illinois University and later completed her PhD at the University of California, Irvine, where she engaged deeply with Critical Theory and Race and Justice studies, challenging conventional notions of space and political economy.

 

With over 15 years experience as both a scholar and community organizer, Steph's research is at the forefront of understanding how Black geographies shape the perceptions of space among scholars and advocates alike. As a teacher and mentor, she champions liberatory educational practices rooted in critical pedagogy. An award-winning educator, Steph cultivates critical dialogue in her classrooms, encouraging dynamic discussions that empower students. She recognizes that every moment in the classroom presents an opportunity for students to interrogate the intricate relationships between race, class, sexuality, gender and violence within broader societal landscape.

 

“We have to build the communities deserve.” - Steph