She credits her undergraduate experiences, including courses on African American culture and the civil rights movement, as pivotal in shaping her future research interests.
[2] Hobbs was elected by her classmates as Harvard's 2022 chief marshal of alumni, which involved her playing a number of ceremonial roles in celebration to her undergraduate class's ('97) 25th reunion.
[10] In this essay, Hobbs explores the 1873 Colfax Massacre, where white supremacist groups attacked African Americans defending a courthouse in Louisiana, resulting in the deaths of up to 165 Black men.
She argues that just as the Colfax Massacre symbolized white supremacy’s dominance during Reconstruction, contemporary instances of police brutality against unarmed Black individuals serve as reminders of the enduring legacy of racial violence in the U.S.[11] Through historical comparison, Hobbs contends that state-sanctioned violence has always played a role in maintaining racial hierarchies, and that today's killings of Black individuals by police continue this tragic pattern.
She has been featured on NPR, PBS, MSNBC, and The Oprah Winfrey Show, where she has spoken about the significance of her work on racial passing and its relevance to today's discussions on race and identity.