In the service of social equity: Leveraging the experiences of African American women professors

ABSTRACT

This study reviews social equity within the public administration academy using critical race theory and intersectionality as frameworks. The researcher analyzes secondary data on doctorate degrees and tenure status earned by faculty members disaggregated by gender and race, contextualizing results with analysis of data from individual interviews of 14 African American women scholars in the academy. Findings suggest there are more nuanced reasons behind negative outcomes for scholars from underrepresented backgrounds. Beyond racism and sexism, there appears to be an inhospitable climate toward social equity related service and scholarship – some of the very tools many underrepresented faculty members use to combat the negative impacts of racism and sexism inside and outside of the academy. Implications for the academy and future research opportunities are presented.

KEYWORDS:

• Critical race theory
• cultural competency
• intersectionality
• service learning
• social equity

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Najmah Thomas

Najmah Thomas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at USCB. She is a full-time faculty member for the Human Services Program, which encompasses both the residential/on-campus and the Palmetto College Online degree completion programs. She is also the faculty member for African American Studies. Her research agenda includes social and economic equity with a focus on program evaluation practices, at-risk youth programs, and public policies impacting underrepresented populations to include the Gullah/Geechee community.

Dr. Thomas earned a B.A. in Public Policy at the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia and a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration, with a concentration in urban policy, at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.

She served as Program Manager at the Crater Regional Workforce Investment Board from 2000 to 2005, then as Deputy Director from 2005 to 2007. The board works to increase employment opportunities for individuals, businesses and industry throughout the area it serves. In 2007, she joined the Cameron Foundation as a Senior Program Officer. In 2009, she was appointed Director of Capacity Building. The Cameron Foundation is a nonprofit organization that promotes community and economic development in south central Virginia. In 2011, she was appointed a Policy Planning Specialist for the Virginia Community College System. A year later, she was promoted to statewide Administrator of Workforce Investment Act Programs.

Dr. Thomas was named a 2017 Fellow with the Institute for African American Research at the University of South Carolina. In February of 2013, she received the Living Legacy Award from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. She was also named a Southeastern Council of Foundations Hull Fellow in 2009. The Southeastern Council of Foundations is one of the nation’s largest regional association of grant makers.