Kimasia Ayers – an FSU alumna (B.A. African American Studies & Creative Writing ’24) – has engaged in the many research opportunities available to undergraduates at FSU, including completing a Directed Individual Study (DIS).
She credits her success as an undergraduate researcher to Shantel Buggs, Ph.D, Assistant Professor within the African American Studies program, DeReef Jamison, Ph.D., Assistant Teaching Professor within the African American Studies program, and David Montez, Associate Director of Florida State University’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement.
“Dr. DeReef Jamison has been incredibly helpful on my journey in formulating my research on Pseudoassimilation. He facilitated the DIS that allowed me to showcase my research and is a prime example of why opportunities for DIS are so crucial to academic and student success,” Ayers said. “Dr. Jamison is a phenomenal instructor who truly cares about his students, and if you are an FSU student, I recommend taking his Psychology of Hip-Hop class!”
During her DIS with Dr. Jamison, she coined the term “Pseudoassimilation”, a term that Ayers defines as a self-preserving survival tactic used to shapeshift between aspects of intersectionalities for the sake of communal camouflage and acceptance.
“Pseudoassimilation is a multi-faceted, multi-generational relationship between intersectional identities, systematic standards, environmental expectations, and the search for both self-fulfillment and community acceptance,” Ayers said. “My passion for sociology is deeply rooted within all of my endeavors, and as I bridge the gap between sociological terminology and community-accepted communication, I am inspired to share my research with the community.”
In the course “Race, Class, and Gender Inequalities in the US” with Sierra Turner, Ph.D., Ayers authored “What is a Text? – How Societal Perception of ‘Text’ Unveil Implicit Bias within Socio-Edu-Nomic,” which focuses primarily on dismantling common prenotions surrounding text and highlights how Western perceptions of text connect to broader issues of representation and cultural erasure.
In this work, Ayers coined the terms: “Socio-Edu-Nomics,” “Axis of Assimilation,” “Meta-assimilation,” and “Creative Dysmorphia” and plans to host webinars to share her knowledge and resources with the community.
Ayers also presented her research on Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome and how it influences small Black-owned businesses in Tallahassee, FL, at the President’s Showcase of Undergraduate Excellence in Fall 2023.
Both lines of research laid the groundwork for coining six new sociological terms about the intersectionality of text and implicit social bias.
“Within the research for ‘Building Beyond Survival: Exposing the Impact of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome among Small Black-Owned Businesses,’ I noticed a common pattern of lack of terminology,” Ayers said. “There were no existing words for reflecting on frequent feelings of contortion, lack of educational resources, feelings of overwhelm, and lack of safety for self-expression.”
Montez, one of Ayer’s mentors, served as her research advisor.
“David Montez has been an enormous supporter in my FSU journey since he was my FSU Experience professor during my freshman year. He has supported me throughout my 5-year journey and encouraged me to research a topic of my passion when others tried to instill fear into me due to the weight of my research,” Ayers said.
Ayers is also a Center for Academic Retention & Enhancement (CARE) student who mentors two other students at the Center and participates in multiple CARE initiatives, such as the Student Social Services SCOPE program and the Unconquered Scholars Program, which provides resources to underprivileged students.
She participated in FSU’s Job Shadow Program, where she shadowed the Executive Digital Producer at WPTV in March 2024.
In the Tallahassee community, she is a curator for the Tallahassee Black Artist Collective and was named a finalist for the Women on Fire Torchbearer Award by the Tallahassee Woman Magazine in March.
After graduating in June 2024, Ayers is now considering her options, which include a career that aligns with her passions of “creative communication” or pursuing an advanced degree in sociology, while she pursues her research and community engagement activities.
For more information about the African American Studies program at FSU, visit coss.fsu.edu/aas.