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Articles by Tayler J. Mathews

Child Law Newsletter - Illinois State Bar Association, 2024

This is the newsletter of the ISBA's Section on Child Law. Section newsletters are free to sectio... more This is the newsletter of the ISBA's Section on Child Law. Section newsletters are free to section members and published at least four times per year. Section membership dues are $35 per year. To subscribe, visit www.isba.org/sections or call 217-525-1760.

National Review of Black Politics, 2020

This article explores a Black queer feminist frame of reference as a critical response to the cis... more This article explores a Black queer feminist frame of reference as a critical response to the cisnormative and heteronormative Black political science literature. The contours of this frame are derived from the political thought of Cathy J. Cohen. Cohen’s political thought provides an exemplary case of how Black queer feminist political science can address the lacuna in which Black queer and trans individuals are marginalized within, if not excluded from, the literature on Black political thought and behavior. Cohen’s work exposes oppressive systems, demystifies the nature of political power, and inspires counter- hegemonic knowledge production that challenges the rigidity of what and who counts as “legitimate” subjects for political science inquiries. Before synthesizing a sample of Cohen’s political thought, this article succinctly reviews Black political science, including Black feminist political science, detailing its history, problems, trends, and how scholars have tended to carry out Black politics work within the discipline. Black political science is critically placed in its activist-scholar context. This article argues that Black political scientists must continue to look inward, not only considering how race and racist knowledge has structured the discipline, but also how power is distributed among (and between) various groups of Black political scientists themselves. It is Black queer feminism that will continue to advance the radical imperative of Black political science.

Gender, Place & Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography, 2019

We reflect on our relationship to the Feminist Freedom Warriors (FFW) online archive of transnati... more We reflect on our relationship to the Feminist Freedom Warriors (FFW) online archive of transnational scholar-activist genealogies. From our respective locations at a PWI and an HBCU, we explore what it might mean to conceive of these new media narratives as archives of mentorship. For us, the archive is a significant resource of useful feminism-those modes of feminist thought, action, and history that meet our mentorship needs, stitching together practices of self-mentorship and co-mentorship. Our engagement with the narratives sharpen an understanding of how intertwined structures of gender, race, sexuality, caste and class operate at both the local and global level, and are facilitated by and through US academia. Moreover, the larger constellation of FFW inspire our own practice of 'queer of color feminist co-mentorship'. We generate a collaborative analysis detailing our expanding perspectives on identity, difference, and the US graduate school experience. Our collective journey informs us that innovative conceptions and practices of feminist mentorship can radically challenge and enhance traditional mentorship, creating novel possibilities for learning and connection.

Book Chapter by Tayler J. Mathews

Counternarratives from Women of Color Academics: Bravery, Vulnerability, and Resistance (edited by Manya Whitaker and Eric Anthony Grollman), 2019

"Tayler offers guidance to her fellow survivors by sharing her experiences enduring and subsequen... more "Tayler offers guidance to her fellow survivors by sharing her experiences enduring and subsequently resisting sexual harassment in a political science graduate program."

CAASE by Tayler J. Mathews

Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE), 2024

Black feminists are trailblazers in movements for gender justice. Their writing and activism prov... more Black feminists are trailblazers in movements for gender justice. Their writing and activism provide foundational guidance for our efforts to confront gender-based violence. Of the many women to honor during Black History Month, we are celebrating five key figures who've helped us better understand the reality of sexual harm, claim our rights, and expand options for survivors.

Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE), 2023

Survivor advocates are especially busy during April because it's Sexual Assault Awareness Month. ... more Survivor advocates are especially busy during April because it's Sexual Assault Awareness Month. We are honored to share this time with Autism Acceptance Month. It creates the perfect moment to discuss the connections between disability and gender justice while centering Autistic Survivors.

Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE), 2023

The Juneteenth holiday marks the freeing of enslaved Africans in America. We celebrate Black hist... more The Juneteenth holiday marks the freeing of enslaved Africans in America. We celebrate Black history, renew calls for racial justice, and appreciate the rich diversity of Black culture across the nation. Many assume that freedom from past enslavement has been achieved, but is this true? Has the exploitation of African descendants ended in the United States?

Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE), 2023

The commercial sex trade is a nexus of injustice that we cannot turn away from. Following the lea... more The commercial sex trade is a nexus of injustice that we cannot turn away from. Following the leadership of LGBTQ+ survivors who are speaking about its realities is key. They’re guiding our laws and policies toward support and understanding, and away from harm. As survivor-leader Cristian Eduardo makes clear, “the sex trade is rooted in homophobia, transphobia, police violence, racism, capitalism, [and] patriarchy. Profiting off sexual abuse and exploitation cannot be normalized.”

PhD Dissertation by Tayler J. Mathews

This dissertation explores Black queer feminism as a frame of reference relevant to the study of ... more This dissertation explores Black queer feminism as a frame of reference relevant to the study of Black political science and the practice of Black politics in the United States. While Black feminist political scientists have moved Black politics scholarship forward, beyond its masculinist focus, much less analysis of the ways in which cisheteronormativity and binary conceptions of gender have informed this scholarship has occurred. This fact renders scholars unprepared to explain critical aspects vis-à-vis Black communities and may explain why few frames of reference illuminate Black queer and trans womxn's political experiences. Furthermore, because more mainstream subfields such as women and politics, and LGBTQ politics do not consistently embrace racial analyses they cannot generate rigorous insight concerning the lives of Black LGBTQ individuals and groups. I employ exploratory case studies to build upon the work of Black political scientists by investigating the potential of an alternative lens that is inclusive of Black persons and groups marginalized because of their gender identity and sexuality. A qualitative content analysis is relied upon to examine the activist scholarship of two Black queer womxn, Barbara Smith and Cathy J. Cohen, with the objective of synthesizing a Black queer feminist frame of reference from their political thought. I argue that Black queer feminism is well suited to advance the radical imperative of Black political science.

Public Scholarship by Tayler J. Mathews

Medium, 2018

“Both feminist and antiracist politics have functioned in tandem to marginalize the issue of viol... more “Both feminist and antiracist politics have functioned in tandem to marginalize the issue of violence against women of color. “— Kimberlé Crenshaw

“Patriarchy has no gender.” — bell hooks

Feminist Campus, 2017

"This piece details Tayler’s personal experience reporting gender discrimination and attempts to ... more "This piece details Tayler’s personal experience reporting gender discrimination and attempts to make sense of this experience as an HBCU student."

Black Youth Project, 2017

“We pledge ourselves to continue to speak out in defense of one another, in defense of the Afric... more “We pledge ourselves to continue to speak out in defense of one another, in defense of the African American community and against those who are hostile to social justice no matter what color they are. No one will speak for us but ourselves.” — African American Women In Defense of Ourselves

The Conditionally Accepted Blog Series on Sexual Violence in Academia, 2017

Child Law Newsletter - Illinois State Bar Association, 2024

This is the newsletter of the ISBA's Section on Child Law. Section newsletters are free to sectio... more This is the newsletter of the ISBA's Section on Child Law. Section newsletters are free to section members and published at least four times per year. Section membership dues are $35 per year. To subscribe, visit www.isba.org/sections or call 217-525-1760.

National Review of Black Politics, 2020

This article explores a Black queer feminist frame of reference as a critical response to the cis... more This article explores a Black queer feminist frame of reference as a critical response to the cisnormative and heteronormative Black political science literature. The contours of this frame are derived from the political thought of Cathy J. Cohen. Cohen’s political thought provides an exemplary case of how Black queer feminist political science can address the lacuna in which Black queer and trans individuals are marginalized within, if not excluded from, the literature on Black political thought and behavior. Cohen’s work exposes oppressive systems, demystifies the nature of political power, and inspires counter- hegemonic knowledge production that challenges the rigidity of what and who counts as “legitimate” subjects for political science inquiries. Before synthesizing a sample of Cohen’s political thought, this article succinctly reviews Black political science, including Black feminist political science, detailing its history, problems, trends, and how scholars have tended to carry out Black politics work within the discipline. Black political science is critically placed in its activist-scholar context. This article argues that Black political scientists must continue to look inward, not only considering how race and racist knowledge has structured the discipline, but also how power is distributed among (and between) various groups of Black political scientists themselves. It is Black queer feminism that will continue to advance the radical imperative of Black political science.

Gender, Place & Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography, 2019

We reflect on our relationship to the Feminist Freedom Warriors (FFW) online archive of transnati... more We reflect on our relationship to the Feminist Freedom Warriors (FFW) online archive of transnational scholar-activist genealogies. From our respective locations at a PWI and an HBCU, we explore what it might mean to conceive of these new media narratives as archives of mentorship. For us, the archive is a significant resource of useful feminism-those modes of feminist thought, action, and history that meet our mentorship needs, stitching together practices of self-mentorship and co-mentorship. Our engagement with the narratives sharpen an understanding of how intertwined structures of gender, race, sexuality, caste and class operate at both the local and global level, and are facilitated by and through US academia. Moreover, the larger constellation of FFW inspire our own practice of 'queer of color feminist co-mentorship'. We generate a collaborative analysis detailing our expanding perspectives on identity, difference, and the US graduate school experience. Our collective journey informs us that innovative conceptions and practices of feminist mentorship can radically challenge and enhance traditional mentorship, creating novel possibilities for learning and connection.

Counternarratives from Women of Color Academics: Bravery, Vulnerability, and Resistance (edited by Manya Whitaker and Eric Anthony Grollman), 2019

"Tayler offers guidance to her fellow survivors by sharing her experiences enduring and subsequen... more "Tayler offers guidance to her fellow survivors by sharing her experiences enduring and subsequently resisting sexual harassment in a political science graduate program."

Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE), 2024

Black feminists are trailblazers in movements for gender justice. Their writing and activism prov... more Black feminists are trailblazers in movements for gender justice. Their writing and activism provide foundational guidance for our efforts to confront gender-based violence. Of the many women to honor during Black History Month, we are celebrating five key figures who've helped us better understand the reality of sexual harm, claim our rights, and expand options for survivors.

Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE), 2023

Survivor advocates are especially busy during April because it's Sexual Assault Awareness Month. ... more Survivor advocates are especially busy during April because it's Sexual Assault Awareness Month. We are honored to share this time with Autism Acceptance Month. It creates the perfect moment to discuss the connections between disability and gender justice while centering Autistic Survivors.

Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE), 2023

The Juneteenth holiday marks the freeing of enslaved Africans in America. We celebrate Black hist... more The Juneteenth holiday marks the freeing of enslaved Africans in America. We celebrate Black history, renew calls for racial justice, and appreciate the rich diversity of Black culture across the nation. Many assume that freedom from past enslavement has been achieved, but is this true? Has the exploitation of African descendants ended in the United States?

Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE), 2023

The commercial sex trade is a nexus of injustice that we cannot turn away from. Following the lea... more The commercial sex trade is a nexus of injustice that we cannot turn away from. Following the leadership of LGBTQ+ survivors who are speaking about its realities is key. They’re guiding our laws and policies toward support and understanding, and away from harm. As survivor-leader Cristian Eduardo makes clear, “the sex trade is rooted in homophobia, transphobia, police violence, racism, capitalism, [and] patriarchy. Profiting off sexual abuse and exploitation cannot be normalized.”

This dissertation explores Black queer feminism as a frame of reference relevant to the study of ... more This dissertation explores Black queer feminism as a frame of reference relevant to the study of Black political science and the practice of Black politics in the United States. While Black feminist political scientists have moved Black politics scholarship forward, beyond its masculinist focus, much less analysis of the ways in which cisheteronormativity and binary conceptions of gender have informed this scholarship has occurred. This fact renders scholars unprepared to explain critical aspects vis-à-vis Black communities and may explain why few frames of reference illuminate Black queer and trans womxn's political experiences. Furthermore, because more mainstream subfields such as women and politics, and LGBTQ politics do not consistently embrace racial analyses they cannot generate rigorous insight concerning the lives of Black LGBTQ individuals and groups. I employ exploratory case studies to build upon the work of Black political scientists by investigating the potential of an alternative lens that is inclusive of Black persons and groups marginalized because of their gender identity and sexuality. A qualitative content analysis is relied upon to examine the activist scholarship of two Black queer womxn, Barbara Smith and Cathy J. Cohen, with the objective of synthesizing a Black queer feminist frame of reference from their political thought. I argue that Black queer feminism is well suited to advance the radical imperative of Black political science.

Medium, 2018

“Both feminist and antiracist politics have functioned in tandem to marginalize the issue of viol... more “Both feminist and antiracist politics have functioned in tandem to marginalize the issue of violence against women of color. “— Kimberlé Crenshaw

“Patriarchy has no gender.” — bell hooks

Feminist Campus, 2017

"This piece details Tayler’s personal experience reporting gender discrimination and attempts to ... more "This piece details Tayler’s personal experience reporting gender discrimination and attempts to make sense of this experience as an HBCU student."

Black Youth Project, 2017

“We pledge ourselves to continue to speak out in defense of one another, in defense of the Afric... more “We pledge ourselves to continue to speak out in defense of one another, in defense of the African American community and against those who are hostile to social justice no matter what color they are. No one will speak for us but ourselves.” — African American Women In Defense of Ourselves

The Conditionally Accepted Blog Series on Sexual Violence in Academia, 2017