RIM Co-Organizers
Sonya A. Grier, PhD
American University | Department of Marketing | USA
Dr. Grier conducts interdisciplinary research on topics related to Race in the Marketplace, especially as related to the societal impact of targeted marketing efforts, using a diversity of methodological approaches. She has published her research in leading marketing, public health, health policy, and psychology journals and also created two award-winning documentary films. She currently serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, and is a member of the Institute of Medicine Food Forum.
A. Kwame Harrison, PhD
Virginia Tech | Department of Sociology | USA
Dr. Harrison’s research and teaching generally explore issues surrounding race, popular music, qualitative research methodologies, and social space. An interdisciplinary scholar, he has presented his work at conferences focusing on anthropology, sociology, Black studies, popular music studies, philosophy, marketing, qualitative inquiry, life writing, and higher education pedagogy. He currently serves as the President of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM) – US Branch.
Guillaume D. Johnson, PhD
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique | Université Paris-Dauphine | France
Dr. Johnson's research focuses on the sociopolitical dynamics of marketing with a special emphasis on race. He has explored these issues in France, South Africa, and the United States, and his work has been published in management, marketing and advertising journals. He is one of the editors of: Marronnages : les questions raciales au crible des sciences sociales. Prior to joining the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Université Paris-Dauphine, he held positions in South Africa and China.
Kevin D. Thomas, PhD
Independent Scholar
Dr. Thomas investigates the socio-cultural impact of marketing communication and consumer behavior. His primary research interest pertains to understanding the relationship between marketing communication, consumption practices, and notions of self and community. Using a consumer culture theory (CCT) perspective, he explores the ways in which identity markers (i.e. race, gender, class, and sexuality) are represented in marketing communication and experienced in the marketplace. His research work has appeared in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Journal of Business Research, Consumption Markets & Culture, and Advertising and Society Review. Dr. Thomas is co-founder of Food for Black Thought and the Black Media Council.