I had the good fortune of working closely with Professor Braun over the past 6 years. She was not only a fierce supporter of my research, but was also invested in my personal well-being and success. It was Professor Braun’s research that first allowed me to envision myself at Brown. Upon my arrival, she welcomed me into the Brown community and, over the years, began to treat me as if I were her intellectual equal rather than her mentee. Her legacy is one that I plan to continue to honor in my own work.

When I applied to Ph.D. programs, Brown was my first choice due to Professor Braun’s research. Her work intrigued me because she challenged the status quo in biomedicine, and I felt connected to and inspired by her before we officially met. I was eager to understand how racism, not race, contributed to health disparities, and her research seemed like a perfect fit. My first meeting with Professor Braun was confirmation that I was in the right place - we spoke for more than an hour, and she invited me to join the Race, Medicine, and Social Justice research cluster, which marked the start of our mentor-mentee relationship.

My first teaching assistant (TA) assignment was for Professor Braun’s “Health Inequality in Historical Perspective” course. This course helped me understand how and why history contextualizes the poor health outcomes of oppressed populations. Professor Braun shared her approach to pedagogy and course design with me, requested my input on syllabus revisions, and entrusted me to lead class discussions. These moments were formative because she expressed a genuine interest in my perspective and made me feel like I was one of her intellectual peers. Professor Braun’s guidance as her TA enabled me to hone my voice and contributions to the research cluster.

Her contributions to Brown and Africana Studies were invaluable. Professor Braun’s research embodied what it meant to be interdisciplinary and challenged dominant modes of knowledge production. She charted a path for graduate students like me who want to understand how slavery, colonialism, and Jim Crow shape patterns of disease. In the Race, Medicine, and Social Justice research cluster, Professor Braun created a brain trust who share their expertise and highlight how racism has contributed to health disparities, past and present. She will be missed but not forgotten because her legacy will live on in the students she mentored. I will make sure of it.

Eric Jones
Ph.D. Candidate in Africana Studies
Member of the Race, Medicine, and Social Justice Research Cluster