She received her Ph.D. in sociology from New School University. Brooks’ work explores the intersections of sexuality, race, gender, class, and mental health among LGBT urban identified Black women. She is the author of Unequal Desires: Race and Erotic Capital in the Stripping Industry (SUNY Press, 2010), which won the 2008 Queer Studies Prize. Brooks’ current research examines the ways inner-city Black LGBT identified women negotiate identity and homophobia within their home communities in North Philadelphia and Los Angeles.