Brittany N. Fox-Williams

Brittany N. Fox-Williams serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Lehman College, City University of New York, focusing on racial inequality within American educational and justice systems. Her work centers on youth experiences with authority structures and systemic barriers.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Sociology, Columbia University (2020)
• M.P.A. in Urban Policy, Columbia University

Research Profile: Dr. Fox-Williams examines trust dynamics in student-educator relationships, racial disparities in trust formation, and coping mechanisms among youth after police encounters. Her third research strand critically assesses sociology's practical contributions to reducing inequality. Utilizing mixed methods—including NYC Department of Education longitudinal datasets and high school interviews—she bridges theoretical frameworks with real-world youth outcomes in urban contexts.

Publication Trends: Her recent work reveals consistent thematic threads: cultural barriers in education (2023), sociological approaches to inequality reduction (2021), trust-achievement linkages in NYC schools (2020), and Black youth navigation of police contact (2019). Collectively, these publications demonstrate methodological rigor in urban youth studies with emphasis on actionable inequality interventions.

Research Support: Major funding sources include:

• National Science Foundation (NSF)
• MDRC