Jarell Lee

Class of 2010

I am a senior from Cleveland, OH, pursuing a joint degree in

Sociology and African American Studies. Currently, I am

writing a senior thesis investigating the impact hip-hop had in

influencing young Black men to support Barack Obama in the

2008 Presidential Election. This project is important because

most hip-hop research observes the cultural effects of hip-hop,

but my thesis will study the effects it has on attitudes,

particularly political attitudes. I have truly enjoyed my classes in

the African and African American Studies Department, and I

really appreciate the relationships I have made with faculty

members. These relationships and the courses I have taken

have not only contributed to my thesis topic selection, but also,

to my personal growth.