Kisha McPherson

Dr. Kisha McPherson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Professional Communication (ProCom). She is an educator and scholar with over 15 years of experience in research and teaching in social justice education, critical race, and cultural studies. Dr. McPherson completed her Ph.D. in the Faculty of Education at York University (2019). Her dissertation focused on the intersectional identities and experiences of Black girls in the Greater Toronto Area. With a continued focus on media and Black communities, Dr. McPherson uses community-based approaches to develop interdisciplinary scholarship that examines the impact of media, popular culture, and contemporary representations of Blackness on the identity and education of Black youth. Dr. McPherson grounds her work in a variety of Black feminist approaches that center anti-oppressive pedagogies and research methods, supporting effective and sustainable teaching and learning practices in both formal and informal educational spaces.

Dr. McPherson's current research projects include one focused on Black girls' participation in new media. This study explores the experiences of Black girls who engage online and actively resist and respond to online representations of Blackness. It examines methods of activity ranging from creating and curating specific content to dreaming of worlds within Black imaginaries to manipulating various social media platforms to control online environments. Dr. McPherson's work aims to connect with contemporary media discourses, including social platforms, cultural appropriation, and Black cyberfeminism, with education.