An exceptional young lady named Toniqua Mikell has set an outstanding record at the University of South Carolina, United States after emerging as the first-ever black person to earn a PhD in Criminology.
Toniqua Mikell made history as the first-ever person to earn a doctorate in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of South Carolina in the United States. She stated that she decided to pursue a PhD after she decided against law school.
She stated that not only did she want to be in a position to advance social justice for marginalized communities, but she wanted to do it while being a tangible representation of students who look like her.
“In all these years of school I can count on one hand the number of Black teachers I’d had. One in elementary school, one in college, and one in grad school. And only the elementary school one was a Black woman,” she said.
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Mikell obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Government with a minor in Sociology and Criminology from Winthrop University after which she proceeded to earn a master’s degree in Criminology at the University of South Carolina.
She said she was in the second year of her PhD program when she found other Black women who also hold a doctorate. She credits women like Dr. Allison Cotton and Dr. Kimya Dennis for connecting her with a village of Black scholars who helped her create a vision for herself.
“Their collective support and inspiration has molded me into the kind of scholar, teacher, and mentor that I want to be. I know how important it is for me to be ‘the face that looks like me’ for the next Black student, especially young Black women. I have the opportunity to be that face this fall!” she said.
She mentioned that she will be proceeding to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth as an Assistant Professor in the Crime and Justice Studies department.
Mikell said she plans to prepare her students to be agents of change by challenging them to think beyond themselves and making them consider how their privilege or disadvantage, has privileged or disadvantaged others.
“Of course, we all hope that our work changes the world. But truthfully, my greatest accomplishment is knowing that other Black women see me and know that a Black woman with natural hair, tattoos, and piercings has a PhD and is a college professor. So why not them?” she said.
Mikell also plans to focus her research on highlighting injustices the public may not know of while emphasizing others currently on our radar.
“I want my research to complement the work of other intersectional feminist scholars and activists. Making people pay attention. Forcing people to demand better,” she said.
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