▁York ), ▁is ▁a ▁main stream ▁fiction ▁author . ▁Co ak ley - Th om pson ' s ▁work ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁emer ging ▁mill enn ial ▁contemporary ▁African - American ▁literature . ▁Co ak ley - Th om pson ' s ▁fiction ▁addresses ▁them es ▁and ▁issues ▁concerning ▁inter ra cial ▁relationships , ▁race , ▁ra cial ▁identity , ▁and ▁people ▁of ▁mixed ▁race . ▁ ▁Co ak ley - Th om pson ▁has ▁a ▁B A ▁in ▁Spe ech ▁and ▁Theater ▁( B road cast ing ) ▁from ▁Mont cla ir ▁State ▁College ▁in ▁Upper ▁Mont cla ir , ▁New ▁Jersey ; ▁an ▁MA ▁in ▁Communic ation ▁Arts ▁from ▁William ▁Pat erson ▁College ▁in ▁Wayne , ▁New ▁Jersey ; ▁and ▁a ▁Ph D ▁in ▁Education ▁( Inst ruction al ▁Design , ▁Development , ▁and ▁E valu ation ) ▁from ▁Sy rac use ▁University ▁in ▁Sy rac use , ▁New ▁York . ▁ ▁Co ak ley - Th om pson ' s ▁dis sert ation , ▁written ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁in ▁partial ▁ful fil ment ▁of ▁the ▁Ph D ▁degree ▁is ▁entitled : ▁The ▁Use ▁of ▁Popular ▁Media ▁in ▁Mult icult ural ▁Education : ▁Str ess ing ▁Imp lications ▁for ▁the ▁Black / Non - Black ▁b ira cial ▁student . ▁ ▁Though ▁she ▁lived ▁in ▁Mont cla ir , ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁for ▁over ▁a ▁de cade , ▁Co ak ley - Th om pson ▁was ▁raised ▁in ▁N ass au , ▁Bah am as . ▁She ▁was