About

R. L’Heureux Lewis-McCoy is an associate professor of Sociology of Education at New York University – Steinhardt. He specializes in racial and ethnic relations with research and activism that concentrate on educational inequality, race-related public policy, and gender justice.

In the area of education, his research helps expand understanding and generate solutions to issues of educational inequality by going beyond discussions of “achievement gaps.” His book, Inequality in the Promised Land (Stanford University Press, 2014) uses original qualitative data to tackle the meaning and influence of race and class in ethnically and economically diverse schools. He has lectured widely and been a featured expert on the role of race in the contemporary political landscape, urban-suburban regional issues, as well as Affirmative Action.

In the area of gender equity, his research and activism focus on the power of gender within communities of color. Some of his past and current work covers issues such as masculinity, ending sexual violence, and gender privilege. In New York City, he co-leads the Ndugu and Nzinga African Rites of Passage program. He is a scholar-activist with years of experience of working with grassroots organizations, not for profits, think tanks and school districts.

His commentary and analyses have been featured in international, national and regional media outlets such as the Guardian (UK), National Public Radio, Diversity in Higher Education, US World New Report, Fox News, Al Jazeera America, Huffington Post Live and throughout the web publications like Ebony, The Grio, and The Root. His blog Uptown Notes won the best political writing award from the Black Weblog Awards. He was recently honored as New Yorker of the week by the historic Amsterdam News and selected as a member of the 2015 Forty under 40 by the Network Journal.

Through these medium, he hopes to continue to expand and enrich dialogues around common yet often under addressed social issues that face our communities. Dr. Lewis-McCoy holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Sociology from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in Sociology from Morehouse College.

 

A note about names: In 2010, Professor Lewis-McCoy (née Lewis) officially hyphenated his last name. While work prior to 2010 has been credited under Lewis, his work is currently credited to Lewis-McCoy, which is also the name he prefers. Additionally, he is also known to his friends, family, and many others by his given name Dumi, which he uses interchangeably with L’Heureux (pronunciation below).