Zawadi Rucks-Ahidiana

Zawadi Rucks-Ahidiana is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University at Albany, SUNY. Her research focuses on urban sociology, racial capitalism, gentrification, and racial inequality, with particular attention to media narratives and housing policies.

• Education: PhD in Sociology from University of California, Berkeley

Her work examines gentrification through critical lenses, analyzing how racial capitalism shapes urban development and media representations. She also investigates structural and cultural factors contributing to the racial wealth gap, especially for Black women.

Key research themes include:

• Racialized media portrayals of neighborhoods
• Economic disparities in housing and financial systems
• Historical and contemporary gentrification processes
• Methodological innovations in mixed-methods research

She has published extensively on these topics, with recent articles addressing the systemic barriers facing Black women in academia and the intersection of race/class in post-prison labor markets.