Josiah Jacobs, a San Francisco native, graduated magna cum laude from Howard University with a degree in political science and a minor in Africana studies. While at Howard, he worked as a research assistant under Dr. Elsie Scott, studying the representation of Black politicians at the state level. Currently, he is a second-year Predoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins University, assisting Dr. Vesla Weaver with archival research on Black police organizations during the Black Power Era and their influence on local politics at the height of their prominence. In his doctoral studies, he aims to focus on the decline of brick-and-mortar Black institutions and its impact on Black political engagement, particularly in the Bay Area context. Josiah seeks to explore the evolving dynamics of Black politics and their broader impact on Black communities in the 21st century. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in political science to teach and produce research that advances Black communities nationwide.
The APSA Diversity Fellowship Program, formerly the Minority Fellowship Program, was established in 1969 as a fellowship competition to diversify the political science profession. The DFP provides support to students applying to, or in the early stages of, a PhD program in political science. APSA has once again awarded a new cycle to provide support for students currently in the process of applying to political science PhD programs for Fall 2025. Please join us in congratulating the 2025-2026 class of fellows.
- Learn more about DFP at https://apsanet.org/dfp
Congratulations to Josiah Jacobs on this major achievement.