Aisha Phoenix

Dr Aisha Phoenix is a Lecturer in Social Justice at King's College London's School of Education, Communication & Society within the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy. She holds a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship (2022) to study colourism among UK youth. Previously, she conducted postdoctoral research on Muslim student identities at SOAS and earned a PhD in Sociology from Goldsmiths. Her work critically examines belonging, marginalization, and racism through narrative approaches.

Education includes a PhD (Goldsmiths), MA Social Research (Goldsmiths), MSc Social Anthropology (SOAS), PG Dip Journalism (City University), and BA in Arabic/Middle Eastern Studies (Oxford).

Research focuses on colourism, anti-Muslim racism, and racialisation. Key projects include qualitative studies on UK skin shade prejudice and co-authored Islam on Campus. Ongoing work explores youth perceptions of colourism through focus groups and surveys.

Awards: UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship (2022). Grants include AHRC and ESRC funding. Advises interdisciplinary policy research at the Centre for Public Policy Research.