Ep. 120 - Black Researchers Collective ft. Dr. Glenance Green & Shari Runner

BrownTown decolonizes the ivory tower approach to research with
Dr. Glenance Green & Shari Runner, Co-Founders of the Black
Researchers Collective (BRC). The Chicago-based capacity-building
collective takes research to the streets, designing, activating,
and mobilizing communities to use research and data to create and
sustain change across Chicago communities and beyond. Dr. G and
Shari discuss their journeys as researchers, organizers, and
leaders from before the 2020 uprisings to now, comparing the two
political moments while doubling down on their work in the face
of both anti-Black and anti-science rhetoric and policies from
the Trump Administration. As the team unpacks the relationship
between research and the grassroots, it becomes clear that
participatory and solution-based approaches to self-determination
hold constant in all avenues of liberation work. After all, "we
do this 'til we free us" (Mariame Kaba). Originally recorded June
11, 2025, days after the large scale anti-ICE demonstrations
began in Los Angeles.


GUESTS


Dr. Glenance Green (affectionately known as Dr. G) is Co-Founder
and Executive Director of the Black Researchers Collective.
Recognized by WVON and Ariel Investments in 2024 as one of
Chicago’s 40 Gamechangers Under 40, Dr. G is a dynamic scholar,
author, and community organizer dedicated to racial equity, Black
liberation, and policy reform. A multi-talented leader, she holds
a Ph.D. in Policy Studies in Urban Education from the University
of Illinois at Chicago, with research focusing on Black women-led
organizations leading resistance efforts against oppression
through community-driven educational models, which not only
advance their organizations' missions but also have potential
implications for shaping state and local education policy. Follow
her on Instagram and her creative work on her Linktree!


Shari Runner is Co-Founder and Director of the Black Researchers
Collective. A native Chicagoan whose national reputation has been
cemented due to her outspoken voice on inclusion, race, and
equity. With more than 40 years of experience in public and
private operations and financial management and after a career as
an international banker in foreign exchange, Runner used her
knowledge of finance and business operations as an entrepreneur.


The Black Researchers Collective (BRC) aims to advance racial
equity by training and equipping communities with research tools
to be more civically engaged and policy-informed through four key
pillars: Community Education & Action; Research Evaluation,
& Technical Assistance; Grassroots Strategies for Policy
Engagement & Advocacy; and Black Researchers Pipeline. Follow
BRC on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.


Mentioned in the episode:


Data 4 Black Lives

Research in the Streets Podcast

Black Researcher App

LA Anti-ICE protest highlights

#NoCopAcademy Report



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CREDITS: Intro song Hella Black by Tobe
Nwigwe. Audio engineered by Kiera Battles. Production assistance
by Jamie Price.


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