Director and Staff
Jason E. Shelton, Director
Dr. Jason E. Shelton is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for African American Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington. His research interests concern the sociology of religion, as well as the intersections of race, class, and attitudes about various political and social issues in contemporary America. Dr. Shelton’s articles have appeared in Social Science Quarterly, Du Bois Review, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Sociological Perspectives, Journal of African American Studies, American Behavioral Scientist, and other respected publications. New York University Press published his first book, Blacks and Whites in Christian America: How Racial Discrimination Shapes Religious Convictions, which won a major award sponsored by the Southern Conference on African American Studies and an “honorable mention” from the American Sociological Association’s Section on the Sociology of Religion. NYU Press recently published his second book, The Contemporary Black Church: The New Dynamics of African American Religion.
Dr. Shelton currently serves as Chair of the Arlington Unity Council, a major initiative sponsored by the Office of the Mayor that aims to “study equity strategies that the City could implement to promote and encourage greater equality, and report to the City Council on its findings and recommendations.” (Click here to learn more about the Unity Council.) He has been interviewed by major media outlets for news stories relevant to his research such as the New York Times,Chicago Tribune, USA Today, National Public Radio (NPR), the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), Christianity Today,Houston Chronicle, and network television affiliates in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He earned his PhD and MA degrees in Sociology at the University of Miami (FL), and BA in Sociology at Kent State University. From 2006-2008, Dr. Shelton served as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Sociology at Rice University, where he worked on the first wave of the Portraits of American Life Study (PALS).
Tailar Brown-Smith, M.A.
Program Coordinator
Professor Brown-Smith is currently the Program Coordinator and an Adjunct Assistant Professor for the Center for African American Studies (CAAS). She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Chemistry and minor in African & African Diaspora Studies in addition to a certificate in Forensic Science. She is an active UNCF STEM scholar and Ronald E. McNair Scholar. Prof. Brown-Smith earned her M.A. in Criminology & Criminal Justice from UT Arlington with a thesis on Serious Juvenile Delinquency. Her academic interests include racial disparities within the criminal justice system, the effects of U.S. drug policies, and juvenile delinquency. She plans to pursue a doctoral degree within the next year. In her free time, she operates a small business that creates wedding and event stationery, custom gifts, and event/party favors.
Shaleace Towns
Administrative Assistant II
Shaleace Towns is currently the Administrative Assistant for the Center for African American Studies (CAAS). She graduated from the University of North Texas at Dallas with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. While At UNTD, Shaleace was a Ronald E. McNair Scholar. Shaleace earned her M.A. in Psychology from Pepperdine University. Shaleace’s research interest are mental health, stress, anxiety, social media, depression, etc. Recently, Shaleace presented her research “How does social media effect brain development in adolescence” at ASALH (The Association for the Study of African American Life and History) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Shaleace plans on pursuing a doctoral degree within the next year in Psychology. In Shaleace’s free time she likes to read, go on walks, spend time with family, and try new coffee spots.