Foreword by Beatrice Berry

256 pages
152 x 227mm
ISBN-10: 1 57922 039 8
ISBN-13: 978 1 57922 039 6
Pub date: April 2001
Published by Stylus Publishing, LLC
Subject: Higher Education
Description:
There are disturbing trends in the continued under-representation of African American women in higher education, especially their attainment of post-baccalaureate and graduate degrees. This is an issue of major concern nationally, for the Black community, and for leaders in higher education.
The fifteen scholars who contribute to this volume trace the trajectory of Black women in education, with a particular focus on higher education. These scholars combine research and personal narratives to explore educational issues ranging from historical accounts of Black female teachers in the nineteenth century, to the challenges and triumphs of being an activist researcher at the turn of the twenty-first century. The essays in this volume address specific historical, social, cultural, political, and academic issues that affect Black women in the academy, and provide readers with tangible examples of how these scholars have transcended some of the challenges in their pursuit of academic excellence.
While these essays do not claim to provide the "magic solution" or a "how-to-guide" to success in higher education, they do raise thought-provoking issues critical to the success of Black women in higher education.
This book uncovers issues, and proposes remedies, which will be of vital interest for anyone concerned with diversity and equity in higher education. It celebrates emergent scholars of African descent, who have used the challenges they have encountered in their journeys through the academy to create opportunities for success.
Editors: Reitumetse Mabokela Mabokela is an Assistant Professor in the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education program at Michigan State University; and Zine Magubane is currently an Associate Professor of Sociology and African Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana
Anna L. Green received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the Florida State University in Tallahassee. She is currently an assistant professor at Florida A&M University in the School of Business and Industry.
Reviews:
"Becoming sensitive to the experiences, tremendous burdens, and excruciating pains black women deal with in higher education requires understanding. It can begin with reading this book. Each and every 'sister' who walks through the portals of these institutions should read it to become armed with a better understanding of the challenges they face and must overcome to emerge victorious. After reading the last page of this book, university leaders, department chairs, provosts, presidents, faculty members, students and staff are compelled to examine their institutional roles that have contributed to or against black scholars' successes. Sisters is a must-read work for all followers and leaders in the community we call higher education. In this way we can begin to dialogue and more fully work together ensuring that we embrace these 'sisters' as our own" - AAHE Bulletin
"I salute the authors for providing a public forum for sister scholars to creatively portray, in their words, their experiences, struggles, and victories in American higher education. The volume is both timely and important. A consistent message from these women throughout the book is that 'with persistence and perseverance, we still rise, we remain strong, and we are here to stay.' This is absolutely a must read!" - Gail Thomas, Professor of Sociology and Dean of Faculty, Soka University of America
"At a time when our nation faces the vicissitudes of race, of class and of gender, 'Sisters of the Academy' has a way of weaving these complexities into a coherent whole. More importantly, this volume leads us down the path to reasoned analysis and workable solutions. This work goes a long way in transforming the contentious and often ill-informed debates surrounding race, class and gender in higher education. 'Sisters of the Academy' is compelling reading for it not only dispenses knowledge, but wisdom, as well." - Carol Camp Yeakey, Professor, The University of Virginia
"Sisters of the Academy represents the type of scholarly depth and practical application that every serious educator can use to help transform higher education into a true and equitable community." - Lee Jones, Editor, Brothers of the Academy, Associate Dean, Academic Affairs and Instruction, and Associate Professor, Educational Leadership, Florida State University
"From my daughter's birth to the present, I have scoured the nation for books on positive African-American women. A logical companion to Brothers of the Academy, this volume documents the common experiences of women scholars throughout the African Diaspora. Both books make fresh new contributions to the literature on higher education and institutional equity, and both volumes promise to become the classics in the field. I can't wait to get Sisters of the Academy into the hands of my daughter, a future Ph.D. and African American woman scholar." - Irving Pressley McPhail, Chancellor, The Community College of Baltimore County
"Sisters of the Academy is a scholarly presentation of the facts of life in academia, as seen by and for Black women. The authors reflect a common spirit and commitment to make a difference through sharing." - Freddie L. Groomes, Executive Assistant to the President, and Director, Equal Opportunity and Pluralism, Florida State University