Benoit's Policy-In-Action project was with the Emerson Collective — an organization focused on education, immigration reform, the environment, journalism and health care — where he analyzed xenophobia in Chile. "We evaluated the supposed correlation of increased crime to migration patterns throughout the entire Latin American region, with a focus on Chile," said Benoit, who worked on this project with a few other students from his MPA cohort.
"We found that undocumented and migrant individuals were being targeted heavily by the police, although there was little evidence that these populations were committing the alleged crimes," said Benoit. "In short, these communities were overpoliced. They are more often the victims of crime than they are the perpetrators." Benoit appreciated the data analytical skills he gained through coursework and his Policy-In-Action project.
Benoit also worked with Professors Susan Moffitt and Jonathan Collins on their Rights to Education research initiative. In this project, Moffitt and Collins' team evaluated the extent to which factors such as race, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status affect parents' ability to give meaningful input to school boards as they make decisions that impact their children.
As a research assistant, Benoit remotely observed dozens of school board meetings in Broward County, Florida, where there were widespread efforts to ban books and drastically limit race education in schools. He continues to contribute to this initiative while working full-time as the racial justice community advocate at the Massachusetts Civil Liberties Union, an affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Benoit said he feels blessed to have received guidance and mentorship from both Moffitt and Collins as well as other Watson faculty. "I've had a long-standing relationship with Watson Senior Fellow Alice Plane, who continues to champion my post-grad ventures," said Benoit. "She frequently checks in to hold me accountable and makes sure I'm doing everything in the best interests of my career."
Benoit noted that others at Watson have helped advance his career as well, "In his elective, Diplomacy, An Art That Isn't Lost, Senior Fellow Brian Atwood shared his experiences working in senior positions for the U.S. Agency for International Development and the National Democratic Institute." "After meeting individually with Brian and sharing my aspirations with him, he introduced me to his network, which I didn't expect, but deeply appreciate," he said.
"The Watson MPA program introduced me to new ways of looking at policy that complimented my experience working with the City of Providence," Benoit said, "and how to advocate effectively to different populations, from individuals in academia to community organizers."
With pride, as a queer Black man of Haitian descent, Benoit is eager to infuse his identity and life experiences and education into his current and future endeavors. "I'm seeing many of the injustices that Black and Brown folks in Massachusetts experience. I want to serve communities like Brockton, where I grew up."
