For the past 25 years as a senior administrator, tenured full professor, author of six scholarly books, several book chapters and articles, I have committed to using my voice to make a difference at keynote presentations and campus lectures. As a trained lawyer, sociologist, and literary scholar, I offer a unique perspective on education.
I have spoken and delivered workshops and consultations nationally and internationally, at large and small universities, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), historically and predominantly White universities, large national and regional conferences, and commencements. In 2018, I did a 20-city book tour on From Cotton Picking to College Professor: Lessons about Race, Class, and Gender in America. In 2022, I was invited to serve as a panelist for a White House Initiative on Education. In 2023, I was a guest of the US Embassy in Ethiopia, speaking to alumni from the Young African Leaders Initiative. I also spoke at universities in Ethiopia and Benin. In 2024, I spoke at universities in New Delhi, India and South Africa. In 2024-2025, I shared my memoir, Blackwildgirl through almost 20 engagements nationally and internationally.
From a TEDx Talk in 2021: “What’s the Point? We are the point!” All of our lives are meaningless if we are not intentional in making a point with our lives, having impact, and putting a dot – however small — on the map of life. It is proof that we were here, we lived, and we made a difference.