Prof. Zakiya Luna, Associate Professor of Sociology, discusses her recent lead-authored publication, undergraduate research, and role in the recent Reflecting on Reproductive Justice Symposium.
WashU Sociology’s Associate Professor Zakiya Luna and three colleagues from other institutions recently published in the Annual Review of Sociology on Black feminism and intersectionality. Their article is titled “On Joy and War: Black Feminism/Intersectionality” and was published in both English and Spanish this August.
Professor Luna was the lead author on the piece. She explained that the purpose of the article was to be a comprehensive review of the current literature and debates surrounding Black feminism and intersectionality, and to offer some future directions for the topic.
“It was really rewarding, particularly because we got together with some scholars I really enjoy and respect–we were able to take a unique approach to the topic,” Luna said. “We had a unique structure to our annual review article, so we were able to push the boundaries a little bit, which is scary, but it was also a lot of fun.”
Luna highlighted the importance of the three undergraduate sociology students, Annie Chang, Logan Flori, and Elizabeth Stier who assisted her with the article. Chang and Flori have now graduated from WashU, while Stier is a senior.
“WashU undergraduates are highly motivated and have brought really interesting different perspectives to different projects that I've had. It's fun to bring students on in different capacities,” she said. “They can also see some of the different research processes and writing processes that go into producing the articles [that are] sometimes on their syllabi.”
She said that students should reach out to their favorite professors to try to get involved with research opportunities.
“If there's a class that a student really likes, go to the professor's office hours and talk with them about how they got into that research area, or to see if they have research opportunities,” Luna said. “Professors are always looking for motivated and excited students to work with.”
In addition to her recent publication, Professor Luna also organized a symposium with Seanna Leath, Assistant Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences, titled “Reflecting on Reproductive Justice.” The symposium, which was held September 6th and 7th, featured a number of prestigious speakers and informed attendees about issues related to reproductive justice.
“We were able to put on a symposium that featured the work of many local organizations, so people could learn about the things they're working on, as well as how to engage with reproductive justice in the St. Louis region,” Luna said.
View an excerpt from the symposium featuring Professors Luna and Leath discussing the future of the reproductive justice movement with activist and scholar Prof. Loretta Ross below.
