ABSTRACT
The Introduction presents the anthology’s purpose—to celebrate women of color in the academy who refuse to play it safe, who define what it means to be a scholar on their own terms, and who challenge the status quo within, and outside of, the ivory tower. The editors, Manya C. Whitaker and Eric Joy Denise, share the two goals for the anthology: first, to change the discourse about women of color academics from one of trauma to triumph; and, second, to challenge the dominant definition of success in the academy. Contributors to the anthology share their experiences using the autoethnographic method of Scholarly Personal Narrative, highlighting specific events in which they harnessed their bravery to overcome, to speak up, and to embrace their personhood. The text is organized around three central themes: resisting convention, collective resistance, and embodied resistance. The twenty-six culturally and racially diverse contributors span ten academic disciplines and represent varied professional experiences, including those who’ve left academia. They offer essays, poems, and other creative works to inspire and advise other women of color academics how to not merely survive in the academy, but thrive.
