VertaMae Smart-Grovesnor claimed her Gullah heritage when others were running away from it. She fashioned herself a food anthropologist before Southern and African American Studies were widespread. She combined organic and traditional intellectualism, told great stories, produced documentaries, and fed us righteous food to boot! Dear Reader, I want to…

Finding reading circles and setting up communities outside of your home institution may be the best move for graduate students-becoming-published-authors. The above book is my first book. It grew from my dissertation. And IT IS AN UTTER FAILURE. YES, I ADMIT IT: MY FIRST BOOK IS A SCREAMING DISASTER. It…

My past couple of posts have been about dissertation writing. Well, before you get to the most important document of your academic career, there is just one other hurdle that you have to clear: the prospectus. My last few posts have been about writing your dissertation. Yes, this is the…

Going into the dissertation phase is scary. Heretofore, it is the most important thing a graduate student has ever written. Sadly, for many students of color and women, there is just no good advice out there and mentors are hard-to-find or do not exist. It depends on the department and…

As a person of color or a woman, accept that you may be writing your dissertation alone. There may not be a wonderful reading circle to read and discuss your first, second, or third drafts with. You may not have a faculty mentor who is willing to direct your research…

The recent high-profile cases of Black women in academia being denied the tenure and promotion that they were clearly qualified for made me rethink my own academic experiences. They. Were. Horrible. When people are racist in the Ivory Tower, they show it ever-so-slightly, and you are expected to die intellectually….but…

Earlier this week, I wrote that we need to revisit Reconstruction. That blog turned into a prequel. Today, I am posting the follow-up. I do not own the copyright to the video posted below, and I am not seeking to make money by its posting. …

I work in an area with a legacy of cotton-picking and Parchman Penitentiary. Unfortunately, the figure of the overseer and the straw boss dominate “leadership” styles in all facets of life. I have a unique view of life because of the geographies of my living areas. As a child, I…

Dear Reader, after a MONSTER summer cold, I am back to posting regularly. This time, I want to talk about Reconstruction and why we need to revisit it. And I’m also going to shamelessly plug one of my new books. Dear Reader, thank you for stopping by once again. I…