Media & Press
Translating research for public audiences. Available for interviews and expert commentary.
Radio
NPR's All Things Considered
September 2025
Dr. Okafor's research on social network discrimination is featured on NPR's flagship news program (and WBEZ Chicago), reaching millions of listeners nationwide.
WBEZ's In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons
May 2026
Dr. Okafor joins Chicago's NPR-affiliate to break down what the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais ruling means for voting rights in Illinois and beyond.
Listen on WBEZ
WVON's Rufus Talks
May 2026
Dr. Okafor joins Chicago's WVON 1690 AM to discuss how the Supreme Court dramatically narrowed the Voting Rights Act and what is next for democracy.
Illinois Public Media's The 21st Show
May 2026
Dr. Okafor joins Illinois Public Media's statewide NPR-affiliate program to discuss the future of voting rights in Illinois after the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais ruling.
Listen on The 21st ShowWBEZ's In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons
September 2026
Dr. Okafor returns to Chicago's NPR-affiliate to break down the Supreme Court ruling in the administration's favor that allows an expanded online screening tool to purge some voters — and what it means for the 2026 midterms.
Listen on WBEZOp-Eds & Public Writing
These Midterms, ICE Is Truly on the Ballot
October 2026
What my study of elected prosecutors, published in the Journal of Public Economics, shows about what happens when voters reward “tough” politics.
Slate: On the Math Behind Louisiana v. Callais
May 2026
A voting rights analysis of how the Supreme Court's reasoning in Louisiana v. Callais doesn't add up.
Equal Rules Don't Produce Equal Opportunity
March 2026
Why colorblind redistricting isn't neutral — and what it means for the 2026 Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais.
The Myth of Colorblind Fairness
September 2025
On social network discrimination and why neutral policies perpetuate inequality.
The Arc of the Moral Universe Doesn't Bend Itself
January 2024
On MLK Day, a call to continued collective commitment.
Building the Next Pro-Life Movement
June 2023
Applying faith-based environmental framing to the post-Dobbs national climate.
Press Coverage
Stateline
District attorney elections linked to more prison admissions during “tough on crime” eraStateline reports on new research linking district attorney election years to increased prison admissions during the era of rising mass incarceration.
October 2026
Northwestern News
Prison admissions rose 3% in district attorney election years during “tough on crime” eraNew research shows prison admissions rose in DA election years during the era of rising mass incarceration.
September 2026
Northwestern Institute for Policy Research
Prosecutor Politics: How DA Elections Drove Up IncarcerationNew research shows district attorney elections drove up prison admissions and sentence lengths during the era of rising mass incarceration.
September 2026
Northwestern Institute for Policy Research
Louisiana v. Callais: 'A Lock Without a Key'Following the Supreme Court decision, Chika Okafor explains how "colorblind" rules will continue to perpetuate inequality.
May 2026
Northwestern Now
Minority groups receive fewer opportunities at work, despite 'colorblind' argumentNew research originates the concept of social network discrimination, highlighting the important role of social networks in labor markets.
September 2025
Harvard Radcliffe Institute
What If We're Telling the Wrong Story about Climate Change?Feature on Radcliffe Fellow's research that merges economics with educational psychology to better understand how to promote climate action.
April 2024
Harvard Gazette
Looking at role of prosecutors, politics in mass incarcerationResearch reveals how prosecutorial discretion shapes criminal justice outcomes.
December 2021
Yale Law School News
Okafor '15 Contributes to U.S. Holocaust Museum's ProjectFeature on human rights fellowship focused on atrocity prevention and genocide.
September 2017
Orlando Sentinel
King's legacy is given new life in Chinese theaterCoverage of international work to leverage King's legacy in fostering cross-cultural understanding.
June 2007
Media Contact
For interview requests, expert commentary, or press materials:
ContactOr email directly: media@drchikaokafor.com