Finding My Voice:An African-American Female Professor at a Predominantly White University

Abstract

Drawing from her personal experience, the author shares concrete examples from her promotion and tenurereview, including the experience of social integration issues and the ramifications that the higher educationenvironment had on her personal and professional attitudes as an African-American female faculty member.Included in the discussion is her feeling isolated, devalued, and unwelcomed. She discusses how her valuesystems, culture, ethnicity, and behavior patterns often conflict with those held by the university and whitefaculty members and students, and finally, how these conditions disempowered and suppressed her voice asa female faculty and faculty member of color.