Building on a decade of research, educationist Rachel Winkle Wagner features the experiences and oral histories of 105 outstanding black women who graduated from college between 1954 and 2014 in The Chosen We: Empowering Black Women in Higher Education. Her findings show that the primary way black women have endured and thrived in and outside of higher education for generations has been by maintaining connections and community among women (the Chosen We). Rachel also compares the experiences of black women not only across regions and time periods, but also by whether they attended a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) or a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), revealing the importance of the type of institution where students receive their higher education. The Chosen We features theoretical and methodological exemplars on how to conduct research across difference. Unexpectedly, The Chosen We was published at the time of Kamala Harris’s launch as a US presidential candidate. Rachel Winkle Wagner shares her reaction to this momentous news and the relevance of the book. Winkle Wagner is an excellent writer and enlightening speaker, and it is especially noteworthy that he fascinatingly names the “gatekeepers” who would have prevented this important book from being published.
“Multi-dimensional artist” is how Clara Kent describes herself. She speaks candidly with unbridled passion about her roots, her influences, and women in music. Clara makes it clear that life hasn’t always been easy, but she’s determined to move forward with a refreshingly positive attitude. The Pittsburgh-based artist makes unique music, and as you can hear in the first of her four-part EP series, “The Four Winds: East,” she claims she has no intention of being boxed into a tidy, safe genre. About the first EP, she says, “Part one is a four-part series dedicated to the healing power of the medicine wheel, the changing seasons of life, and my personal experiences as an African-Indigenous woman. Come join me on a journey down the Red Road.” Clara Kent knows who she is and what she believes, and she expresses herself through her art. And for that, we should be grateful.
Listen to the full conversation with Clara Ken
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