Dr. Derrick R. Brooms Highlights the Realities Black Men Face on Public Transit in Groundbreaking Study

Dr. Derrick R. Brooms, Executive Director of the Black Men’s Research Institute and Professor of Africana Studies, continues to shape the national conversation on race, space, and equity with his latest scholarly achievement. A recent study he co-authored with Dr. Gwendolyn Y. Purifoye, Assistant Professor of Racial Justice and Conflict Transformation at the University of Notre Dame, has been featured by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education for its critical insight into the lived experiences of Black men on public transportation.

Their article, titled “Without Risk Reduction: How Black Men’s Wellbeing and Humanity are Compromised in Mobile Public Spaces,” was published in Sociology of Race and Ethnicity and draws on extensive ethnographic research conducted on buses and trains throughout Chicago. The findings are both sobering and urgent: Black men, whether as passengers or transit workers, regularly endure racism, microaggressions, and hostile interactions—experiences that not only compromise their safety but also their sense of humanity.

“We conducted ethnographic observations on transit lines moving through specific Chicago neighborhoods to understand how Black people navigate these public spaces,” said Dr. Brooms. “For this paper, we focused on Black men and found consistent patterns of marginalization. They were often avoided, shunned, or targeted—stripped of dignity and treated as threats rather than as members of the public deserving of respect.”

This work is not just academic—it is deeply personal and grounded in a long-standing commitment to Black men’s lives and liberation. Dr. Brooms has long positioned himself as both a scholar and an advocate. His work consistently centers the voices and experiences of Black men and boys, whether in schools, communities, or, in this case, the public infrastructure that is supposed to serve all equally.

When asked what actions led to this recognition, Dr. Brooms reflects, “I think of myself as the blueprint—a person committed to truth-telling and to creating spaces where Black men can be seen, heard, and valued. This study is the result of persistent work, collaboration with brilliant colleagues like Dr. Purifoye, and a refusal to ignore the everyday ways racism structures our lives.”

The article is available online through Sociology of Race and Ethnicity here, and the JBHE’s coverage can be accessed here.

As Dr. Brooms continues his leadership at the Black Men’s Research Institute, this study is another example of how rigorous, community-informed scholarship can illuminate systems of inequality — and more importantly, call us all to action.