Dr. Alexus Brown is the Senior Social Scientist at the Center on Race and Social Problems (CRSP) at the University of Pittsburgh, where she supports research, secures grants, and develops curriculum for the Racial Equity Consciousness Institute. She earned her Ph.D. in Linguistics from Pitt, specializing in Sociolinguistics, and holds a B.A. in English from Tuskegee University.
Her research explores Black language, rhythm, and social patterns in Rap music, a passion she embraced in her dissertation, What’s The Deal Forreal: Rap Music’s Sociolinguistic Story. Dedicated to making complex ideas accessible, Alexus merges scholarship with cultural celebration, advancing racial equity and social justice.
Fun fact: Her love for Rap isn’t just academic—ask her about her favorite artists, and you’ll see her light up. For Alexus, music isn’t just a subject of study; it’s a bridge that connects people
1. Brown, A. (2022, April). Tracey L. Weldon, Middle-Class African American English. Language in Society 51(2).
2. Brown, A. (upcoming). Tracey L. Weldon. Middle-Class African American English. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2023. Pp. xvii + 271. ISBN 9780521719667 (pb). English Language & Linguistics
3. What's the Deal Forreal: The Sociolinguistic Story of Rap Music. (2024), [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh]. http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/45771/
4. Brown, A. (upcoming). Aren’t We All Jane 57821?: Imagining a Future Through a Dirty Computer. In D. Dubuisson (Ed.), Black Futures in the Anthropocene.
