Faculty Profile

Twyla Blackmond Larnell

About

Dr. Twyla Blackmond Larnell (M.A., PhD. Michigan State University; B.A. Lake Forest College) is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Loyola University Chicago. Her research and teaching interests center on American urban/local politics and public policy with a specific interest in racial, gender, and class politics in the areas of local governmental representation, particularly mayors, and local economic development.

Prof. Larnell regularly teaches six courses: American Politics (PLSC 101), Black Politics (PLSC 218), Contemporary Issues in American (Minority) Politics (PLSC 300A), Urban Policies and Problems (PLSC 334), and Urban Politics (PLSC 390) as well as a more writing-intensive and discussion-centered version of the Urban Politics course for the Honors department (HONR 203B United States Experience). After being nominated by students for Loyola’s highest teaching recognition, the Edwin T. and Vivijeanne F. Sujack Award for Teaching Excellence Award, a committee of honored university administrators, faculty and students thought so highly of Dr. Larnell’s teaching portfolio that they selected her as a finalist and named her a ‘Master Teacher’ during the 2015-2016 academic year.

Prof. Larnell conducts research that answers practical questions regarding the social, economic, and political problems facing racialized groups and low-income neighborhoods. Her research centers on understanding how local politics and policies influence the distribution of power and resources throughout cities that contribute to 1) disparities in the representation of racialized groups and women in local government, particularly mayors, and 2) spatial inequalities that trouble those communities with predominantly racialized and low-income populations. Due to the complexity of these issues, she draws on an interdisciplinary literature (political science, public policy, public administration, sociology, and geography) and relies on a broad set of research methods, including spatial regression analysis. She considers herself to be a scholar of racial politics, rather than a scholar of a specific racialized group. As such, she makes a great effort to review the literature and collect the data necessary to adequately examine differences across racialized groups, primarily Black, Latinx, and Asians in American cities.

Dr. Larnell believes that she has a civic responsibility to use her knowledge, research, and training to inform the public, particularly the groups and communities that she studies, in an effort to promote political knowledge, engagement and participation, as well as provide community leaders with potential policy solutions. Few people outside of academia and research draw on scholarly journals for information and instead rely on the news media. For this reason, she has appeared as a panelist on WYCC PBS Chicago’s “In the Loop”, WTTW Chicago PBS “Chicago Tonight” and ABC Chicago’s NewsViews (2018 and 2020). She’s been quoted in Crain’s Chicago Business Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times and The Root as well as The SouthSide Weekly. She can also be seen in two documentaries (“The Secret Life of Local Government” and “Black Feminism”).

At present, she sits on the City of Chicago’s Zoning Advisory Panel, which is an important opportunity to help the city address the spatial inequalities contributing to concentrated poverty in predominantly minority communities.

Her recent publications and works in progress include:

 1. Miller, W.T., Campbell, C.A. & Larnell, T. (2021). Bias detected? An examination of criminal history using the OYAS_DIS for girls and black youth. Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice, 1-19.

2. Blackmond Larnell, Twyla. (2020). “Wine, Beer, and Lotto: Black Community Mobilization Against Liquor Stores in Chicago” Journal of Black Studies

3. Blackmond Larnell, Twyla. (2020) “Governance networks and local economic development policy during the Great Recession in the US”. Local Government Studies

4. Blackmond Larnell, Twyla and Davia Downey. (2019) “Tax Increment Financing in Chicago: The Perplexing Relationship Between Blight, Race, and Property Values”. Economic Development Quarterly 33(4): 316-330.

5. *Blackmond Larnell and Cameron Williams (2019). “Racialization and Subsidized Low-Income Housing in American Cities”. Journal of Poverty 23(2): 123-143.

6. Blackmond Larnell. (2018). “Does it matter ‘who governs?’ Governance networks, local economic development policies, and the Great Recession.” Local Government Studies 44(5): 624-648. 

7. Larnell, Gregory, Twyla Blackmond Larnell, and John Bragelman. (2017). “Towards Reframing the Open Door: Policy, Pedagogy and Developmental Education in the Urban Community College”. Ed. M. Pagano. The Urban Agenda. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press.

8. Reese, Laura, Twyla Blackmond, and Gary Sands. (2010) “Patterns of tax abatement policy: Lessons from the outliers?.” The American Review of Public Administration 40(3): 261-283.

9. LaMore, Rex, Terry Link, and Twyla Blackmond. (2006) “Renewing people and places: Institutional investment policies that enhance social capital and improve the built environment of distressed communities.” Journal of Urban Affairs. 28 (5). 429-445.

MANUSCRIPTS UNDER REVIEW:

10. *Campbell, Christina, Jordan Papp, Twyla Blackmond Larnell, and Christopher D’ Amato. “Neighborhoods and Juvenile Risk Assessment: Examining the Validity of the Ohio Youth Assessment System – Disposition Tool across Neighborhoods. 

11. **Blackmond Larnell, Twyla, Ratri Istania, and Thomas Callen. “Presence vs. Power: Office Prestige amongst Women and Women of Color Mayors”. 

12. **Blackmond Larnell, Twyla. “Leaning In?: The Professional and Political Development of Women and Women of Color Mayors.” 

13. Ratri Istania, Faza Dhora Nailufar, Twyla Blackmond Larnell. “When a Mayor Breaks the Gender Stereotypes: A Study of Tri Rismaharini Political Campaign Coverage.

14. Cameron Williams and Twyla Blackmond Larnell. "The Salience of Race in Poverty Deconcentration Initiatives: A Case of Deconcentration Efforts in Chicago"

PREPARING FOR SUBMISSION:

15. * Twyla Blackmond Larnell, Cameron Williams, and Elisa D’Amico. “Minority Majority Cities and the Mayors that Govern Them”. 

16. **Blackmond Larnell, Twyla, Ellery Therriault, and Raluca Pavel. “Tax Increment Financing: Addressing Blight or Promoting Gentrification?” 

17. Blackmond Larnell, Christina Campbell, and Jordan Papp. “Liquor Stores as a Hotspot for Violent Crime in Chicago”. 

18. *Istania, Ratri, Abigail Escatel, Twyla Blackmond Larnell, Elisa D’Amico, and Raluca Pavel. “Tweet That!: U.S. Mayors, Intersectionality and the Urban Agenda.” 

*denotes graduate student co-authors

**denotes undergraduate student co-authors

Degrees

Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2013