FOCUS
Structural and institutional racism often determine where we can live, work, and socialize, which ultimately shapes our mental and physical health outcomes. Rebekah is interested in conceptualizing and measuring racism as well as using mixed methods to better understand how the inequitable distribution of power, land, and other resources has shaped the health of racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Her research interests include structural racism, social determinants of health, affordable housing, and community development. She’s especially interested in the processes of residential segregation, housing discrimination, and gentrification.
MORE ABOUT REBEKAH
Hailing from Harlem, New York, Rebekah has always been fascinated by neighborhood culture. The educational journey that took her from New York to Chapel Hill to Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles has allowed her to see not only how racist policies have deprived certain neighborhoods of resources, but also how communities have mobilized to resist and respond to external forces. Rebekah hopes to elevate community voices that are often ignored in health research on neighborhood effects.
DISSERTATION GRANT AWARDEE — NOVEMBER 2020
Gentrification, Residential Mobility and Preterm Birth among Black Women: A Mixed Methods Study of Racial Resegregation in Northern California
The purpose of this project is to assess the relationship between gentrification, racial resegregation and preterm birth among Black women in Northern California. The specific aims are (1) determine if neighborhood-level gentrification stage is associated with preterm delivery among Black women and whether relationships are mediated by prenatal care and housing insecurity; (2) identify potential mechanisms linking residential mobility to preterm birth risk among Black women; and (3) explore the association between inter-pregnancy residential mobility and preterm birth among Black women.
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