Bison Trailblazers: Drs. Jasmin Goodman and Brandale Mills Cox

Written by Imani Cabassa-George

A team of Howard doctoral alumni is a force to be reckoned with, as demonstrated by Drs. Jasmin Goodman and Brandale Mills Cox who are engaged in research to showcase the evolution of Black womanhood and love in Hollywood's big-screen productions. In an interview with The Sway, we meet these two Trailblazers, and hear the story of their collaboration and its academic impact.

Goodman and Mills Cox met at Howard in the fall of 2016 as students in the Cathy Hughes School of Communications’ Communication, Culture & Media Studies doctoral program. Through their time working together as Teaching Assistants in the department, they realized a shared research interest in Black women's representation in the media. The pair also found a commonality in cultural studies and pop culture, which laid the foundation for their eventual research collaboration informed by their lived experiences as Black women. In addition, their individual perspectives and passions for film and representation bring a critical approach to data collection.

The Sway: What exactly is the research area and what have you learned thus far?  

Drs. Goodman and Mills Cox: Our research focuses on Hollywood and how it has been instrumental in the construction of Blackness on screen, often perpetuating myths, stereotypes, and negative images about the Black experience, showcasing Black people as aggressive, unloving, and incapable of maintaining a healthy romantic relationship. With more diversity efforts in Hollywood, Black women have become more empowered to reshape those narratives.

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