Dr. Lakeyta Bonnette-Bailey, is an Associate Professor at Georgia State University in the Political Science Department. Her research interests include popular culture, political behavior, black women and politics, political attitudes, African-American politics, political psychology and public opinion.

Dr. Bonnette-Bailey currently teaches classes on American government, Black women and politics, Black political behavior, Black politics, Hip-Hop and politics, racial attitudes and identity politics.

Dr. Bonnette-Bailey has written numerous articles and book chapters including “Behind the Music: Black Political Attitudes and Political Rap Music,” and “Free your Mind: Contemporary Racial Attitudes and Post-racial Theory” (with Sarah Gershon and Precious Hall)”. Her book, published (2015) with the University of Pennsylvania Press, is entitled Pulse of the People: Rap Music and Black Political Attitudes. Finally, in 2017 she hosted the conference Behind the Music: Hip Hop and Social Justice, which was the first conference at Georgia State University to examine the ways in which social justice is addressed and expressed within Hip Hop culture.

Dr. Bonnette-Bailey completed her undergraduate studies at Winthrop University where she attended the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute at Duke University and the Ralph Bunche Summer Humanities Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. She completed her doctoral degree in the Department of Political Science at The Ohio State University, where her research examined the political impact of rap music on Black political attitudes.

As a previously low-income, first generation, minority college student, Dr. Bonnette-Bailey understands the lack of information individuals may have about graduate school, graduate degrees and the graduate process. Thus, she is passionate about mentoring students, informing them of graduate programs and assisting them in applying to graduate school. As the Pre-PhD faculty associate at CASA, Dr. Bonnette-Bailey’s mission is to ensure that all students are informed of graduate possibilities, graduate degrees and graduate application processes, as well as representing a resource for undergraduate and alumni to discuss career and graduate options. Any questions about graduate school, please contact lbonnette@gsu.edu.