Roslyn Satchel, Ph.D.

Roslyn Satchel, Ph.D., is the lead researcher for the Radow Institute for Social Equity (RISE) and a professor in the School of Communication and Media. Dr. Satchel is a faculty associate at Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, where she has co-led the Race-Tech-Media working group since her fellowship year. Teaching law, ethics, and communication courses, Dr. Satchel formerly served as an endowed, tenured professor at Pepperdine University and as an Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Her book, What Movies Teach about Race: Exceptionalism, Erasure and Entitlement, brings Dr. Satchel’s media, legal, and religion background together to examine political economy and representation in the most influential films of all time.  

Dr. Satchel earned degrees from Louisiana State (PhD), Emory (JD and MDiv), and Howard (BA) universities. Her scholarship scrutinizes the cultural intersections of legal, media, and religious discourse with a particular interest in issues of race, gender, class, ability, age, ethnicity, status, sexual orientation, religion, and citizenship. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Satchel was a successful policy advocate and pioneer in using citizen journalism and social media for community organizing. She developed educational resources and opportunities in academic, religious, and community settings in countries including Italy, Kenya, Thailand, Ghana, India, South Africa, and the U.S. in human rights, interfaith coalition building, child advocacy, and indigent defense. Her work influenced several national, state, and international grassroots initiatives resulting in policy change—for which she received numerous awards and significant national media coverage. 

Dr. Roslyn Satchel's Research and Community Engagement

• Forthcoming Book with University of California Press: “Technology and Our Critical Race toward Social Equity” (Spring 2023)
• Presidential Task Force on Race Conference (Spring 2023)
• Talks at Harvard on RISE and its social equity plans
• Research presentation at the Global Meeting of the Law & Society Association in Lisbon, Portugal (July 2022)
• Research presentation at the National Communication Association Convention (November 2022)
• Grant applications to the National Endowment for the Humanities (Collaborative Research), the National Science Foundation (Racial Equity in STEM), the Sorozei Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Kresge Foundation (Fall 2022)
  Study Abroad Program in planning phase for Summer 2024

• Building RISE’s Online Presence with a website, social media accounts, and related content
• Launching “Courageous Conversations with RISE,” a podcast featuring leading thinkers and advocates on equity issues, interventions, and research
• Collaborating with schools and community-based organizations on social equity programs
• Proposing to the United Nation’s Caribbean Women’s Portfolio our partnership with the University of the West Indies on a racial discrimination tracking technology development
• Training and recruiting students and researchers to the work of social equity

• Collaborating with the Mayor’s Office for the City of Atlanta to assess and build capacity for their Equity division and initiatives
• Certifying KSU students, faculty, and community partners as Equity Fellows who will serve on a RISE Advisory Council
• Facilitating and Co-sponsoring KSU faculty-led events (e.g., the Philosophy department’s Vada Project, the African and African Diaspora Studies Department Curriculum, and the Latin American Film Festival)