Biography

Growing up between Jamaica, Ghana, and the United States, I have learned to understand land as a resource beyond territory; it is the essence of one's identity, culture and freedom. As a result, I have been dedicated to researching the relationship between land rights, global institutions, and the survival of humankind. My research on land rights began at Mount Holyoke College when I studied abroad in Samoa, researching the relationship between development agencies and Samoan customary land tenure. After graduation, I was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to return to Samoa to continue my research. Thereafter, I attended the University of Cambridge's MPhil in Development Studies programme, where I interrogated the development system and its capacity to adhere to the bespoke needs of traditional communities. For the past year, I have been residing in Brazil researching and engaging with Indigenous and Quilombo communities fighting to obtain their land rights. As a PhD student and Gates Scholar, I will continue my work with Afro-Indigenous communities in Brazil to combat the violence and injustice embedded in land alienation.

Previous Education

Mount Holyoke College Anthropology and Politics
University of Cambridge Development Studies