Ebony in the Ivory Tower

• In Event: 26.052 - Faculty and Administrative Issues in Higher Education: Climate, Race, and Gender

Abstract

The representation of African American women (AAW) in the higher education professoriate is lower than that of their racial and gender counterparts. They are generally promoted at a slower rate, receive the lowest salaries, and teach only part-time. They are mostly found among the lowest ranks of the professoriate, primarily in non-tenured positions within the traditional disciplines of education and the social sciences professions. Many AAW have the credentials and the degrees to enter the professoriate but, due to racism, classism, and sexism they are still considered outsiders. This research is justified as AAW must provide more examples of lived experiences of themselves and other AAW to validate each other’s knowledge claims.

Authors

• Sunday Price-Johnson, Texas A&M University

• Norvella P. Carter, Texas A&M University