Researcher. Writer. Analyst. Storyteller.
Each day presents
an opportunity to make the world a
more equitable
& livable place for
all people. It is our
job to find our unique
way of doing so.
Research Philosophy
Chelsea Jones' research agenda is fueled by the desire to institute racial equity in policies that limit the political influence and social stability of marginalized people.
Chelsea finds value in the ability to conduct research and translate findings across multiple settings. Her work spans from quantitative analyses in academic publications, to statistical models presented in voting rights court cases, qualitative storytelling in op-eds, and even mixed-methods racial equity analyses conducted on behalf of Mayors and City Council members.
Her 2023 dissertation examined the role of Black sociocultural institutions, namely Black Political Churches, in countermobilizing Black voters against voter suppression. Other previous academic projects have utilized political geography and distance analyses to examine the disparate impact of polling place closures on African Americans after the Shelby County v. Holder ruling. It was awarded UCLA's Swarr Prize for best unpublished research paper.
Chelsea conducts a broad array of research and advocacy work involving, but not limited to, the following topics:
Racial Equity ..Voting Rights
Socio -Cultural Institutions
..Representation Economic Justice
Reproductive Rights Social Policy
Political Geography
I work to analyze & eliminate racial
disparities, with research, writing & intentional community engagement.
Chelsea Jones, is a Researcher at the Brennan Center for Justice. Chelsea’s background is in the study of race and racism in public policy, having obtained a Doctorate in Political Science (Race, Ethnicity and Politics) and a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University.
She’s previously worked for the National League of Cities, where she conducted equity analyses on local government policies nationwide and trained government employees to apply a critical race lens to their institutional practices. She has also worked as a Congressional fellow for the U.S. House of Representatives and an Equity Specialist with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
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Chelsea is an American Political Science Association Minority Fellow, a Eugene V. Cota Robles Fellow, a Mark Hoffenberg Fellow and a Ronald E. McNair Scholar. She earned her bachelors degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin.
Public Engagements
The 2017 MLK Keynote Address at Carnegie Mellon University. Delivered by Chelsea N. Jones and Dr. John Silvanus Wilson Jr.