Dr. Jatia Wrighten is a political scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University and an affiliate faculty member in African American Studies. Her research focuses on Black women, state legislatures, and leadership. She developed the Heavy Lifter Theory, which explains differences in leadership attainment among Black men, white women, and Black women legislators. Her forthcoming book, Oppression Made Us Leaders, will be published by Bloomsbury in 2027. She has been quoted in The Washington Post, Newsweek, and USA Today, and her students give her courses high marks.
