Henry Dickmeyer (he/him) is a Ph.D. candidate in History at American University in Washington, D.C. New waves in American citizenship studies fuel his approach to law and belonging as conditional and dynamic. His dissertation explores how 19th century abolitionists and Black residents interpreted and shaped formal police practices in Philadelphia. The project represents his broader research focus on how African Americans seized, determined, and manipulated citizenship in urban spaces prior to federal emancipation. Before his doctoral work, Henry received his B.A. in Economics from Occidental College, earned his Master's in teaching at Columbia University, and taught social studies for five years in New York City public schools.