EXPERIENCE
The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA — Senior Reporter
FEB 2021 - JULY 2022
Covered Black life in Southern California—from Leimert Park to Lancaster and beyond—with a focus on the criminal legal system, the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on Black communities, developments in Black Hollywood, climate justice, housing insecurity, and efforts to organize in a changing landscape.
The Marshall Project, New York, NY — Commentary Editor
FEB 2017 - OCT 2019
Oversaw the commentary and analysis section of The Marshall Project. In capacity as Commentary Editor, assigned, edited, and published between one and three pieces per week. In first year at TMP, launched ViewFinder, a section of the site dedicated to short visual commentaries that offer fresh perspectives on criminal justice issues and highlight stories of individuals touched by the system.
Complex Media, New York, NY — Deputy Editor
FEB 2016 - FEB 2017
Lead editor for Complex Life, Complex.com’s vertical covering politics, social justice, and culture. Wrote daily news stories, commissioned and edited commentary, wrote, and edited long-form features. Planned and executed coverage of the 2016 presidential race and helped produce a live broadcast of 2016 election night results.
Demos, New York, NY — Emerging Voices Fellow
OCT 2014 - DEC 2015
Earned highly-competitive fellowship for investigative journalists, sponsored by one of the nation's leading progressive think tanks. Published portfolio of hard-hitting features that tackled race, politics, policing, and patterns of power in outlets including The Atlantic, Vice, Buzzfeed, Ebony, Gawker, GQ. Published widely circulated and praised analysis and commentary, including op-eds for The New York Times and The New Republic.
NewsOne, New York, NY — Staff Writer
AUG 2013 - OCT 2014
Senior writer for NewsOne.com, Interactive One’s black-interest news site. Launched special projects on small black business, gang violence in Chicago, and HBCUs. Managed social media accounts. Produced and hosted “On the Corner,” a weekly man-on-the-street video series.
Farnoosh Torabi, New York, NY — Editorial Assistant
SEPT 2012 - NOV 2013
Reported and wrote daily blog posts on issues within personal finance for the website of journalist Farnoosh Torabi. Conducted research and interviews for weekly Yahoo! Finance column. Transcribed semiweekly video content, edit and convert into print content for the web. Daily management of Torabi’s social media properties.
Danyel Smith, New York, NY — Editorial Assistant
JAN 2013 - AUG 2013
Conducted extensive research for “Shine Bright,” an upcoming history of black women in Pop music, by journalist and author Danyel Smith for One World/Random House. Secured interviews with nearly 100 sources for inclusion in the book. Managed correspondence for Smith. Identified relevant reference materials for book. Researched popular music charts from 1960 to 2013.
Various Outlets, New York, NY — Contributor
MAY 2012 - AUG 2013
Writer for outlets including Ebony, JET magazine, Diverse: Issue In Higher Education, MONEY magazine, theGrio.com and Black Enterprise magazine, Global Grind.
NBC News, New York, NY — Editorial Intern
DEC 2011 - MAY 2012
Reported and wrote original content, daily, for the web in areas of politics, entertainment, business and culture for NBC's theGrio.com. I optimized content with SEO and multimedia elements, and aggregated, on average, five news stories per day for the site.
SELECTED WRITING
André’s One Man Show—December 2, 2023
The Agony and Ecstasy of Cord Jefferson—September 21, 2023
How Dr. Dre and Hip Hop Helped End the Crack Era—July 14, 2023
What We Meant When We Said Crackhead—July 11,2023
Deion Sanders Enters His Prime—January 9, 2023
Patrisse Cullors' healing after quitting Black Lives Matter—.January 13, 2022
One woman helped move the needle on Black vaccination in South L.A. She’s ‘Mama Tsega’—Dec. 10, 2021
A young Black chef in complete command of his kitchen and himself—Dec. 7, 2021
A Black man opened an art gallery in South L.A. He got branded as a gentrifier—Nov. 19, 2021
Black Angelenos express mix of cynicism, disappointment after Ridley-Thomas indictment—Oct. 15, 2021
After a pandemic pause, pickup basketball players share communion on the court—July 5, 2021
‘Black joy is a form of resistance.’ L.A.’s Juneteenth is partying with purpose—June 19, 2021
The pandemic sparked a Black cycling movement in South L.A. — and a new business—June 2, 2021
‘Microfarms’ come to South L.A. frontyards, bringing fresh produce to food deserts—May 13, 2021
After a year of loss, L.A.’s Black churches celebrate their second pandemic Easter—April 5, 2021
For Keeps: The Atlanta Bookstore That Found the Magic | GQ Magazine—November 2, 2020
The Political Education of Killer Mike | GQ Magazine—July 8, 2020
Being Antiracist Is Work, Even For Ibram X. Kendi | WSJ Magazine—July 6, 2020
Bryan Stevenson’s Moral Clarity | WSJ Magazine—October 31, 2019
24 Hours In America | The New York Times—October 15, 2018
Are Russian Bots Selling Weaves on Instagram? An Investigation | Vice—July 10, 2018
Cyntoia Brown and Our Twisted System | The Marshall Project—December 1, 2017
White America’s Unshakeable Confidence in the Police | The Marshall Project—July 19, 2017
Donald Trump’s Dangerous Obsession With Chicago | Complex—January 27, 2017
The Real (and Very Racist) Meaning of Donald Trump’s ‘Bad Hombres' | Complex—October 20, 2016
Trump Is Right: The Election Will Be Rigged | Complex—October 17, 2016
The One Thing the VP Candidates Agree on Is Meaningless | Complex—October 5, 2016
Before Keith Scott, a Long History of Racist Policing In Charlotte | Complex—September 22, 2016
Glenn Beck's 'Empathy' Trap| Complex—September 9, 2016
Dashikis, An Old Symbol for Renewed Wokeness, Make a Comeback | Complex—September 6, 2016
A Triple Murder, a Broken Family, and the Long Tail of the Crack Era | Vice—August 29, 2016
Keeping the Dems Honest On Black Colleges | The Atlantic—February 29, 2016
Twitter's White-People Problem | The Nation—January 6, 2016
The Missing Black Millennials | The New York Times—December 21, 2015
The Rise, Fall, And Improbable Comeback Of Morris Brown College | BuzzFeed—October 28, 2015
Black Colleges Become Sanctuaries After Ferguson | The Atlantic—September 10, 2015
Recovering From PTSD After Hurricane Katrina | The Atlantic—September 1, 2015
How Katrina Sparked Reform in a Troubled Police Department | The Atlantic—August 31, 2015
Tracking Police Violence A Year After Ferguson | FiveThirtyEight—August 7, 2015
Don’t Look Away From Dixieland | GQ—July 29, 2015
President Obama: Talk to Black America, Not at Us | The New York Times—July 2, 2015
Inside the Mind of an Angry Cop | GQ—June 8, 2015
How to Keep Racism in Place: An Interview | Gawker—May 14, 2015
Ferguson Proves that Broken Windows Are Big Business | Quartz—April 27, 2015
The Truth About Black Twitter | The Atlantic—April 10, 2015
White America's Silence on Police Brutality Is Consent | Gawker—April 10, 2015
It's Time to Focus on the Other Fergusons in America | New Republic—March 13, 2015
Are You Smarter Than a Cop? | Gawker—March 10, 2015
Want to Stop Police Brutality? Start Disciplining Officers | New Republic—February 10, 2015
How Obama's Education Reforms Might Hurt Black Colleges | The Atlantic—February 6, 2015
Police Reform Is Impossible in America | Gawker—February 3, 2015
How Wearing the Wrong Jewelry Can Get You Locked Up | Gawker—January 28, 2015
EDUCATION
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Master of Science｜2012
Morehouse College
Bachelor of Arts｜2010
APPEARANCES
PUBLICATIONS
When Crack Was King—One World (July 2023)
Ramsey’s debut nonfiction book exploring how black America survived the crack epidemic for One World, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Identity Orchestration: Black Lives, Balance, and the Psychology of Self Stories—Lexington Books (June 2022)
Contributed essay on the residue of the crack epidemic to David Wall Rice’s book exploring identity formation in black men.
Black Futures—One World/Random House (December 2020)
Contributed essay to J Wortham and Kimberly Drew’s archive of collective black memory and exuberant testimony.
You Next: Reflections in Black Barbershops—Lawrence Hill Books (September 2020)
Contributed reported piece to photographer Antonio M. Johnson’s photo book exploring the communities that exist within black barber shops.
AWARDS
Open Society Foundations 2018 Soros Justice Fellowship
Awarded prestigious fellowship for individuals with distinctive voices proposing to complete media projects that engage and inform, spur debate and conversation, and catalyze change on important U.S. criminal justice issues.
AFFILIATIONS
Soros Justice Fellow Selection Committee Member, Open Society Foundation (2020)
Identity, Art & Democracy Lab Fellow, Morehouse College (2020)
Soros Justice Fellow, Open Society Foundation (2018)
Emerging Voices Fellow, Demos (2014, 2015)
BEATS
Criminal Justice • HBCUs • City Government • Drug Policy • Education Elections • Millennials • Tech Diversity Politics and Policy