Dr. Sheila Smith McKoy's research is centered on: the relationships between and among African and African Diasporan cultures; African and African descent literatures; race (including the construction of whiteness); racial and violence and peacemaking; gender equity and female empowerment; American racism and its international exports; the linkages between race, place, health and biopower; African indigenous knowledge and healing; and African Diaspora spiritual traditions. A literary critic, media maker, fiction writer and poet, Smith McKoy’s work has appeared in numerous publications. As an engaged scholar, Smith McKoy advocates for equity in health access as it relates to mental health, HIV/AIDS awareness and positive living, proactive anti-hazing policies, and complementary and alternative health care.