Current Research

Topic: Mexican American history and social activism in Texas. I will be expanding upon my dissertation, Mexican American Social and Political Action and the Rise and Fall of Black-Brown Cooperation during the period of Dallas Independent School District Desegregation, 1969-2003. This work will further examine the role of Mexican Americans in the desegregation of the Dallas district. Current and former Advisory Professors on Project: Dr. Miguel Levario, Dr. Sean Cunningham, and Dr. Matthew Johnson. Dr. Cunningham and Dr. Levario are located at Texas Tech University. Dr. Matthew Johnson is now with Washington and Jefferson College. 

Topic: U.S. Army’s Official History during Operation Inherent Resolve. I am currently working with the U.S. Army Center of Military History as a Post-Doctoral Research Assistant. The primary topic of current research is the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria from 2012 to present day. I am assisting Dr. Mason W. Watson with his volume of the U.S. Army’s Official history on the war agaist ISIS.

Past Research and Presentions

“Police Misconduct, Civil Protest, and Black-Brown Alliances in Dallas from 1971-1985,” 127th Annual Meeting Texas State Historical Association, El Paso, TX, March 2-3, 2023. (This presentation is a signficant reworking of a previous presentation found below with additional research titled: “The Deaths of Michael Morehead and Santos Rodriguez: How Police Misconduct brought about Black-Brown Cooperation in Dallas that impacted School Desegregation from 1970-85.” This presentation also utilizes components from my dissertation noted above.)

“The Deaths of Michael Morehead and Santos Rodriguez: How Police Misconduct brought about Black-Brown Cooperation in Dallas that impacted School Desegregation from 1970-85,” West Texas Historical Association Conference, Lubbock, TX, Mar 18-19, 2022.

“Desegregation, the Fight for Bilingual Education, and the Rise of Mexican American Political Agency in Dallas, 1972-1987,” East Texas Historical Assoc. Fall Meeting, Nacogdoches, TX, Oct. 16th, 2021.

“Dallas and the Growth of Mexican American Political Agency: 1971-1985,” 124th Annual Meeting Texas State Historical Association, Austin, TX, February 29th, 2020.

“Dallas Parks: Moderation, Custom, and the Mechanics of Segregation,” 95th Annual West Texas Historical Association Conference, San Angelo, TX, April 13th, 2018

“Segregation, Desegregation, and Resegregation in Dallas, a History Obscured by Myth,” Texas Tech Univ. History Graduate Student Conference, Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX, Feb 3, 2017 (This presentation is a signficant reworking of a previous presentation found below with additional research titled, “Dallas and the Fairytale of Desegregation, Which Came Without Integration.”)

Topic: John Dowdy Jr., Benton Musslewhite, Anti-Communism, Civil Rights, Politics. Title: None, Research at the W.R. Poage Legislative Library and Archive on John Dowdy. Publication Status: None. Project goal: exploratory research to assist Dr. Littlejohn in Spring 2015. Began with Dr. Jeffery Littlejohn of Sam Houston State University. Two Presentations based on research:

“John V. Dowdy and a Turning Point in Conservative Strategy,” 8th Annual Texas A&M History Conference, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, March 31st, 2017.

“John V. Dowdy: From Old Southern Racism and Anti-Communism to Law and Order,” Texas Tech University History Graduate Student Conference, Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX, Feb 6th, 2016.

Topic: John Dowdy Jr., Anti-communism, Civil Rights, Politics, and Rhetoric. Title: "John V. Dowdy, Anti-Communism, Anti-Socialism, and States-Rights an Argument against ‘Undesirable’ Legislation", Original Draft: Fall 2014, Advisory Professor on Project: Dr. Jeffrey Littlejohn, Special thank you to the W.R. Poage Legislative Library and Archive at Baylor University -- Status: Tabled for later research and revision. Publication: None, Presentation Status: Presented at the 6th Annual Texas A&M History Conference, College Station, TX on March 27th, 2015.

Topic: Desegregation in the Dallas Independent School District. Title: "Dallas and the Fairytale of Desegregation, Which came without Integration." Original Draft: Spring 2014, Advisory Professor on Project: Dr. Diaz -- Status: Ongoing Research and Revision. Publication Status: None yet, Presentation Status: Presented at 18th Annual Graduate Research Exchange at Sam Houston State University, on February 18th, 2015.

Topic: Britain, Seven Years' War, Economics. Title: "The Seven Years’ War and the British Economy," Status: Project Draft Complete, No plans for additional research at this time. Advisory Professor on Project: Dr. Jeremiah Dancy -- Publication Status: None Planned, Presentation Status: None scheduled.