The University of Delaware Messenger

Yasser Payne, associate professor of Black American Studies, is regarded both on the streets and in the campus community for his innovative and unconventional research methods. As part of a study to explore violence and structural opportunities in Wilmington, Del., he trained a team of 15 researchers—all black, some ex-felons—in doctoral-level research methods and statistical analysis; their findings showed black, urban neighborhoods and their residents are more resilient than the way they are often portrayed and perceived.