About | My Site

Welcome! I am a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of Michigan. My research and teaching interests broadly include American politics, Black politics, inequality, and public opinion. My dissertation and book project, When Hard Work Isn’t Enough, examines the prevalence of the American Dream narrative in Black public opinion. Using mixed methods, I explore the linkage between beliefs about the American opportunity structure and reduced awareness of structural racism, justification of the existing racial hierarchy and racially conservative policy preferences among Black people.

My dissertation work has been supported by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (Ford Predoctoral Fellowship), the American Political Science Association (Minority Fellowship), and the Russell Sage Foundation (Dissertation Grant). My co-authored research has appeared in the Journal of Race, Ethnicity and Politics and RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences.

I grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana and earned my B.A. in political science and English from the University of Notre Dame in 2019.

I am currently on the job market. Please explore my website to learn more about my ongoing research or download my curriculum vitae below.

Email: zcwalker [at] umich [dot] edu