Human Rights

Human Rights

Research on human rights – rights inherent to all human beings – is essential for uncovering systemic inequalities, understanding the root causes of social disparities, and developing strategies to address them effectively. It provides empirical evidence to support policy reforms and interventions aimed at achieving equity and justice for marginalized communities. Research also helps to amplify the voices of those affected by racism and discrimination, fostering informed dialogue and meaningful change. C2C researchers are investigating human rights violations in our communities, the deep-rooted causes of discrimination and unequal treatment, and policies designed to create a more equitable future.​

Check out our new and ongoing projects below, or get in touch if you have a research question you want answered.

New Projects​

Cara Michell: Resurrecting Black Spatial Imaginaries​

• In partnership with Shanna Sabio of the Brooklyn community arts organization GrowHouse, Cara Michell will facilitate a participatory mapping workshop series and research process rooted in the legacy of the Flatbush African Burial Ground. As part of Cara’s ongoing project, Black Psychogeographies, these maps will document spatial stories about Black memory, history, and future visions for the site. ​

Rebekah E. Moore: Black Artists Creating a Culture of Health through Arts-in-Health Collaborations​

• This project explores how involving Black artists in public health initiatives can mitigate racialized health disparities in intensely segregated cities. Research partnerships will bridge the missions of a public health commission, which tracks health outcomes data and sets health equity priorities, and office of arts and culture, which coordinates grant opportunities and sets arts equity priorities, to mobilize policy advocacy for future arts-based public health research and interventions.​

Jane Yamashiro: Okinawan Community Writing Project: Decolonizing Culture through Research Justice​

• With the long-term policy goal of gaining recognition as an ethnic group on the U.S. Census and collecting demographic data about this unrecognized Indigenous population, this community-led project promotes recognition of “Okinawans” as an ethnic group in the United States through the creation of publishable materials on Okinawan culture and history

Ongoing Projects

Ashley Adams: Descendant Survey and Genealogy Project​

• The goal of this project is to increase descendant engagement in Nicodemus, Kansas. This is accomplished by gathering feedback on visitor experience and preservation work. This project collects data that will contribute to a Nicodemus genealogical database that will further serve as a model for other African American descendant studies that can contribute to reparative justice policymaking.​

Nneka N. Allen-Harrison: Bay Area Black Voices: Employment Outcomes of the Black Labor Force in The San Francisco Bay Area​

• This project investigates employment trends of Black labor force in San Francisco Bay Area and researches how empowerment learning can help improve economic outcomes for Black-identifying individuals.​

Isabel Martinez : Assessing Massachusetts Immigration Legal Service Capacity​

• The goal of this study is to create a report and a tool to support the Massachusetts Immigrant Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition’s work in funder engagement, funding coordination and alignment, member-led initiatives, and strategic messaging. ​

Sara Carr: Refuge: Community-Guided Design Guidelines for Extreme Heat and Green Space Inequity in Chelsea, MA​

• Extreme heat widens spatial and health inequities as the brunt of heat islands, flooding, and air pollution fall on low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. These places often lack the natural infrastructure that can mitigate these environmental effects. Partnering with GreenRoots, this project seeks to advance best practices for public space, shade, and cooling as a civic resource and means towards climate justice. ​

Jeremy Sorgen: Hitch Stories​

• Hitch Stories is an intergenerational storytelling and storylearning project focused on Clear Lake hitch, an endangered fish that is culturally significant to Clear Lake Tribes. Native youth will learn about cultural heritage through interviews with Tribal Elders and co-create a GIS StoryMap. ​

Patrice Williams: Climate Justice Ready​

• The purpose of this study is to conduct an international comparative study of climate-related risks to gentrification for historically vulnerable populations in Boston, Chelsea, Everett, and Barcelona.​