Zoe Walker

Zoe Walker is an incoming Assistant Professor of Race and Ethnic Politics at the University of Rochester's Department of Political Science. Her research examines how American exceptionalism shapes attitudes about inequality, with particular focus on Black public opinion regarding racial inequality and the American Dream narrative.

Her research investigates:

• Impact of American Dream ideology on racial inequality perceptions
• Psychological mechanisms underlying policy attitudes
• Intersections of racial and national identity in political behavior

Her publications focus on reparations attitudes, protest evaluation, and the psychological impacts of meritocratic narratives in Black communities, employing mixed-methods approaches including surveys and interviews.

Research supported by:

• Russell Sage Foundation Dissertation Research Grant
• Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship