The National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) is proud to recognize Natasha A. Cox, M.A., as the 2018 recipient of the Jessie Bernard Outstanding Research Proposal from a Feminist Perspective Award, which is given to a graduate student or new professional who has demonstrated excellence in research and potential contribution to feminist scholarship. Her paper is titled “Becoming a Black man: A qualitative examination of identity management, sense of belonging, and informal support systems of Black transmen”

Named one of the “100 Black LGBT emerging leaders to watch” by the National Black Justice Coalition, Ms. Cox is currently a doctoral candidate in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech. She competed her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Syracuse University as a Ronald E. McNair Graduate Fellow and graduated with honors from Elizabeth City State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in Spanish. In 2015, the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals presented Ms. Cox with their Promising New Professional Award citing her ability to revamp student programming at the LGBTQ Resource Center at Penn State. Her research has focused on the “becoming” and “belonging” processes of Black queer and transgender people.

Ms. Cox will be recognized for her achievement at the 2018 NCFR Annual Conference, Nov. 7-10 in San Diego, California.

This award is presented in memory of Jessie Bernard, former NCFR Board Member and pioneer in the field of feminist family studies. Jessie Bernard declared herself a feminist in 1970 and is known for her celebrated description of "his" and "her" marriages. She was a board member of the American Sociological Association, the Groves Conference on Marriage and Family, and NCFR.