Retained by the Grace of Sisterhood: The Making of an African Woman Academic in U.S. Academia

Through epistolary form, this chapter captures and crystallizes the race-defying role that sisterhood mentoring and self-activism played in the author’s achievement of retention and tenureship, as an African-born black woman in the racially-exclusive US academia. Triangulation of critical race theory, multicultural education precepts and transformative (self-) mentoring insights set the stage for gratitude letters through which the author; while centering agency, empathy and self-advocacy; credits the race-transcending woman-ity for her currently held tenure status. The conclusions and recommendations reiterate the need for racial minority women faculty to look out for themselves and seek out mentors with empathy to guide them.