Support Temi Alao's Doctoral Dissertation!

Hello!

My name is Temi Alao. For the past three years, I have been pursuing my doctoral degree in sociology at Emory University. After completing my coursework, teaching requirements, and qualifying exams (with honors ☺), I am quickly approaching the finish line of my journey to Temi Alao, PhD. In academic terms, this means I have reached “ABD” status, or “All But Dissertation” status, signifying that I have approached the final, and most challenging, stage of my doctoral career: the dissertation.

This time last year, I never would have thought I would have had to resort to online fundraising to cover my dissertation expenses. Then, I was preparing my application materials for the nine grants and fellowships I planned to apply to that upcoming fall and winter. Following the sudden nationwide federal funding cuts and departmental budget constraints, I was unfortunately rejected from each of the fellowships and grants I applied to. Any rejection is a punch to the gut, but in academia, rejection is especially challenging. Timing is key, and a rejection can result in delaying one's research and risking running out of funding.

That said, I am turning to my community to help me cross the finish line. If you’ve ever been encouraged by my doctoral journey, impacted by my work, or believe in my mission to study and advocate for marginalized communities across the globe, I’m asking for your help in raising $8,000 by the end of the year to complete my dissertation fieldwork in France.

The title of my dissertation is “Hierarchies of Black France: Status Inequality in Paris and Montpellier.” The study will employ various analytical techniques to examine how social hierarchies of status and prestige influence the incorporation experiences and economic mobility of immigrants in France, specifically Black immigrants from the United States, French Africa, and the French Caribbean who reside in Paris and Montpellier.

Despite the unexpected challenges I've faced, I've remained steadfast in ensuring that the goals I have for my dissertation project remain a reality. To make these goals a reality, I’ve been working 40-hour weeks and taking on any available teaching gigs I can find, while maintaining my duties as a graduate student. Through this, I have saved enough money to independently pay for:

To cover the remaining expenses of my dissertation fieldwork, I’ve decided to turn to one of the oldest forms of mutual aid and community support: fundraising. All the funds raised will be allocated directly towards the expenses necessary to complete my research in France from September 2025 to August 2026 (i.e., travel, lodging, and software fees).

In France, studies of race and racism are incredibly taboo. This dissertation project is significant because it identifies unique mechanisms of inequality that are often hidden, illustrating how complex intra-racial stratification persists in “raceless” contexts. Although based in France, this dissertation has implications for improving the lives of marginalized communities in any society that delegitimizes race or ethnicity as a mechanism of inequality. Your support would be incredibly meaningful not only to me but also to the countless people this research will impact worldwide.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING ME AND BEING A PART OF MY VILLAGE!