Professor Dr. Aisha Phoenix

Biography

Aisha Phoenix's primary research area is colorism, exploring skin shade prejudice where individuals with lighter skin receive privileges over those with darker skin shades. She is the principal investigator of a qualitative study on skin shade that investigates colorism within the UK. Her research portfolio includes the perceptions of Muslim young people in schools and higher education institutions, as well as an examination of anti-Muslim racism. Aisha's PhD research focused on Palestinian university students living in the West Bank and narrated their lives under occupation for a foreign audience. Her work critically engages with issues of belonging, marginalization, and social justice, particularly through narrative approaches to understanding social issues. In June 2022, she was recognized as a UKRI Future Leader Fellow, leading a large-scale study on young people's experiences with colorism in the UK. Previously, she was a Post-Doctoral Researcher on the AHRC-funded 'Re/presenting Islam Campus Project' at SOAS, University of London, where she conducted research across six UK higher education institutions and co-authored the book 'Islam on Campus: Contested Identities and Cultures in Higher Education', published by Oxford University Press.

Research Interests