Jennifer Chudy, PhD

I study race and ethnicity in American politics. Within this broad field, I focus on White racial attitudes generally and the attitude of racial sympathy - defined as White distress over Black suffering - specifically. Racial sympathy is a distinct, but understudied, White racial attitude with important political consequences. Using multiple methods including survey research, experimental studies, participant observation, and long-form interviews, my book project examines the origins and depths of this phenomena as well as the conditions that give rise to its political expression. My 2021 article in the Journal of Politics summarizes this work. I have also published research on guilt and prejudice among White Americans.

My research has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post/Monkey Cage, Vox, The Nation, Mother Jones, and Salon.com. I have also provided commentary on race and American politics in the New York Times, NPR's Code Switch and Fivethirtyeight.com.

At Wellesley, I teach courses related to American politics, race and politics, political psychology, and research methods. All of my courses, regardless of title, focus on the role of race and ethnicity in American politics.

I grew up in a multiracial and interfaith household. Prior to graduate school, I worked in politics and have experience at the federal, state, and local levels of American government. I was also a Fulbright Grantee in South Korea. Outside of academics, I enjoy watching plays and musicals and spending time with my daughters.