Black Women are Not OK

Why the Academy is Failing Strong Leaders

Black Women in the Academy are not OK. Following Dr. Claudine Gay’s resignation from her short term as President at Harvard University, we came to find out that she had received ongoing threats to her safety including death threats. On January 8, 2024, Lincoln University’s Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Antoinette "Bonnie" Candia-Bailey, took her life after seeking assistance from her employer. Lincoln University is an HBCU, and was Dr. Candia-Bailey alma mater - a place that should have been safe, but it wasn’t. The attacks on Dr. Gay and Dr. Candia-Bailey is further evidence of what Black Women in the Academy are well aware of. The world of Academia is not a safe one for black women.

This episode of “Office Hours with Dr. De Veau” features two experts on this topic, women with both research and lived experiences who can point to specific issues and calls to action as it relates to toxicity and bullying on campus and how it is impacting minoritized communities in the academy. Dr. Mary “MJ” McConner and Dr. Leah P. Hollis join Dr. De Veau for this important conversation. 

Bio for Dr. Mary “MJ” McConner
Find/Follow MJ on LinkedIn

Bio for Dr. Leah P. Hollis
Find/Follow Leah on LinkedIn
Purchase Her Book, “Bully in the Ivory Tower”

Thank you for being an Office Hours listener. In order to grow our community please rate, review and share the podcast with your network. Thank you to my wonderful producer, David Yas. Office Hours is a production of Pod617 studios in Westwood, Massachusetts. Now, get out there and learn something.