Louise Seamster studies race and economic inequality, particularly in cities. She writes about racial politics and urban development, emergency financial management, debt, and the myth of racial progress. Her research centers on the interactive financial and symbolic factors reproducing racial inequality across multiple domains. Her current book project uses Benton Harbor as a case study to understand competing approaches to time, money and property in cities. She is working on two additional projects around race, governance and infrastructure in Flint and Tamina, Texas. Another line of research examines racial disparities in debt and debt markets, including “predatory inclusion” in student debt, and the different meaning of debt for black and white families. Finally, she is also working in the arena of algorithmic inequality. Her work has been published in Contexts, Sociological Theory, Du Bois Review, Social Currents, and Ethnic and Racial Studies, among other academic outlets, and has guest edited five special issues on issues around race.

For Professor Seamster's full bio visit the Sociology and Criminology Faculty page.