Kamesha Spates

Dr. Kamesha Spates (she/her/hers) is a community college alum, first-generation college graduate, medical sociologist, and health equity scholar whose work bridges Africana Studies, sociology, and medical and public health research. Her scholarship examines how structural racism, gendered racism, and social inequities shape the mental and physical health of Black communities, with particular attention to suicide, trauma, and pathways to collective healing.

She is the founder and director of the Researching Outcomes for Optimal Total-body & Systemic Health (ROOTS to Wellness) Lab, an interdisciplinary research hub focused on transforming how Black health is understood, researched, and supported. Through community-engaged scholarship, qualitative inquiry, and translational research, the lab centers community knowledge, cultural wisdom, and diasporic healing practices while critically interrogating the structural conditions that undermine health and well-being. ROOTS to Wellness is committed to developing sustainable, justice-oriented strategies that promote healing and health equity.

At the core of Dr. Spates’s work is a deliberate shift in how Black health is framed—moving beyond approaches that emphasize pathology alone toward those that also recognize resilience, agency, and collective healing traditions. Her research explores the social and psychological consequences of anti-Black racism, racialized trauma, and gendered stress, while identifying culturally grounded pathways toward wellness.

Dr. Spates has authored two books and dozens of peer-reviewed articles published in leading journals. Her scholarship has also appeared in several public-facing outlets including USA Today Essence Magazine, and HuffPost. In 2018, the American Sociological Association recognized her work as among the most downloaded research in the discipline.

In addition to her research, Dr. Spates is deeply committed to mentorship and the training of the next generation of equity-focused scholars. Through the ROOTS to Wellness Lab, she works closely with students on interdisciplinary research, community partnerships, and public scholarship that bridges academic inquiry with real-world impact.

Outside of her professional work, Dr. Spates enjoys spending time with loved ones, practicing meditation, watching documentaries, and listening to podcasts.

Areas of Specialization

• Medical Sociology
• Health Equity
• Black and African American families and communities
• Anti-Black Racism 
• Trauma
• Suicidology 
• Mental Health and Wellness