In her job as chief of staff to the area’s congressman, Tumia Romero has learned much about the criminal justice system. Still, as she threw herself into research on incarceration for her job and her doctorate, she was shocked to learn the statistics on Black women and prison.

“As I continued to work on that issue, I learned that the incarceration rate for women in the United States had increased by 700% over 10 years,” said Romero, the top aide to Rep. Danny Davis, who represents Illinois 7th Congressional District. “Then I found out that African-American females were disproportionately impacted by that number.”

At that point, she said, “My focus became more strategic.”

By then Romero was already pursuing a doctorate that focused on post incarceration reentry and was one of the architects of the Second Chance Act, which looks at opportunities after leaving prison.  

Now a 2025 graduate of Antioch University’s Ph.D. Program in Leadership and Change with a focus on public policy and social change, she has led groundbreaking research published this year examining the impact of the Second Chance Act on African American women’s reentry.

Through her work for Davis, Romero is a key player in shaping federal policy, especially in the areas of prisoner reentry and social justice. Her research has been groundbreaking in highlighting the disproportionate impact incarceration has on African-American females, making significant contributions to understanding and improving reentry outcomes for this underserved population.

She intends to use her dissertation research in future writings. 

“Right now, I’m working for a member of Congress who does not shy away from tough issues like prisoner re-entry,” she said. “This position often gives me a platform to weigh in on federal public policy and to inform decisions. Last year, we created a congressional re-entry caucus to take a deep dive into this important issue.” Romero said. 

She hopes her research will spark federal policy discussions, focusing especially on African-American females.

Romero was surprised to learn that approximately two million women are released from prisons and jails each year in the U.S. While conversations about reentry often focus broadly on the overall population, she found it striking how dramatically the number of incarcerated women has increased.

“Of course, I learned that there was very little peer-reviewed information about African American females in reentry. That’s what makes my work somewhat landmark and historical because it really does a deep dive into African American females in reentry and some of the causes behind it. Of course, recommending change is where we focus, on legislation and policy at the federal level,” Romero said. 

Romero wants African American females to know that there are people out there who care about them, care about where they are, and want to help them.

“I did not grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth. I grew up as an African American female who had a baby and was trying to make it in life. If I had not had the opportunities provided by people like Harold Washington, Danny Davis, and other mentors like Avis Lavelle, I would not be where I am today, along with my mother, of course, and my family,” Romero said.

Romeo began her political career by volunteering. 

“I eventually got involved in politics starting at age 16. I began by volunteering for the Harold Washington for Mayor campaign, and later for Luis Gutierrez’s campaign when he was running for alderman of the 26th Ward,” Romero said.

She briefly worked for Gutierrez before being hired by then Mayor Washington’s press office. The job demanded more than 40 hours a week, which delayed her college education. Over the years, she also served under other mayors. After years of juggling work and school, she committed to completing her education and earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from Loyola University in 1997. Romero also earned her master’s degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix while working with Davis

When Davis hired her in 1998 to work on his staff, she decided that she couldn’t truly represent the people without first understanding them. So, she moved to the West Side.

“I’ve been an Austin resident since 2002. I grew up on the South Side of Chicago for my elementary years. I grew up on the west side of Chicago for my high school years. I used to commute to Hyde Park Career Academy every day, five days a week,” Romero said. 

She added: “I did not grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth. I grew up as an African American female who had a baby and was trying to make it in life. If I had not had the opportunities provided by people like Harold Washington, Danny Davis, and other mentors like Avis Lavelle, I would not be where I am today, along with my mother, of course, and my family.”