Fadilat T. Olasupo

Hello!
I am a fifth-year PhD Candidate in Sociology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. My dissertation examines how Black immigrants navigate and interpret overlapping systems of policing, criminalization, and immigration enforcement in the United States. More broadly, my research explores the intersections of race, immigration, law, and belonging, with particular attention to how Black immigrants make sense of racialized state power. By centering Black immigrant experiences, my work contributes to theories of crimmigration, racial formation, and the racial state.

This dissertation builds on my earlier research on processes of racialization, racial identity formation, and responses to racialized exclusion in the United States, which examines how class, gender, and ethnicity shape the perspectives of Black immigrants. Together, these projects anchor my ongoing interest in how Black immigrants interpret experiences of racialization, negotiate racial and cultural socialization, and engage with, or resist, racial hierarchies in the U.S. context.

As a Research Assistant with the Carceral State Project, I work on the Reckoning Project and the juvenile lifer interview-based project to document misconduct in the criminal justice system and to uplift the important activism and advocacy work of former juvenile lifers in the state of Michigan. This work aligns with my broader commitment to racial justice by centering the lived experiences of those most impacted by systemic harm.

As a first-generation Black woman doctoral scholar, I am deeply invested in producing scholarship that challenges systemic oppression and promotes equity. My dissertation research has been supported by the Russell Sage Foundation Dissertation Research Grant and the National Science Foundation Law and Science Dissertation Grant at the Arizona State University. My work has also been supported by research fellowships from institutions including the University of Michigan Law School, the National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID), the Social Science Research Council, and the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship.

In addition to my academic work, I am an educator and advocate, emphasizing the connections between systemic inequalities and the experiences of marginalized populations, particularly Black Immigrants and Americans. My teaching and advocacy efforts aim to amplify the voices of these communities and foster meaningful social change.

My ultimate goal is to contribute to a body of knowledge that not only critiques existing structures of power but also offers pathways toward liberation and justice for racialized communities globally. In recognition of my commitment to integrity, human dignity, and excellence at the University of Michigan, I was awarded the Gupta Values Scholarship in 2023.