Antione D. Tomlin – författare

Working While Black: The Untold Stories of Student Affairs Practitioners will examine the narratives of student affairs professionals and how they navigate their professional experiences. While student affairs can be a high pressure and high stress environment for all professionals, Black professionals are often overworked, underheard, and made to feel devalued. Therefore, it is important to consider how student affairs professionals are managing the profession, colleagues, and students while Black.

I approach this book from an asset-based approach where chapter authors are approaching both the challenges and opportunities they have experienced due to being a Black while working as a student affairs practitioner. Chapter authors also provide poignant advice on how current and potential student affairs professionals can successfully navigate the field. One especially important contribution of this book is that our authors are from a variety of student affairs areas including: residence life, student engagement, career services, counseling, student conduct, athletics, student activities, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and academic advising. Additionally, chapter authors are student affairs professionals at predominantly White institutions, historically Black colleges and universities, and online universities. Given the breadth of experiences each chapter will provide poignant suggestions for student affairs practitioners across the nation as well as for institutions who are looking to better understand these experiences to better support their own employees.

Popular education press and scholarly conversations have focused on the experiences of student affairs professionals (Renn & Hodges, 2007). There has also been scholarship around the Black student affairs professional experience (West, 2015; Husband. 2016). This book will add to the current press and scholarly conversations by allowing Black student affairs professionals to tell their own stories, providing additional insight into what it is like to work while Black. Institutions of higher education can learn much from the stories shared in this book that can inform the recruitment and retention of Black professionals. Thus, Working While Black: The Untold Stories of Student Affairs Practitioners is positioned to be a must read for all higher education professionals and institutions who are looking for strategies to support Black student affairs professionals.

Dissertating During a Pandemic: Narratives of Success from Scholars of Color examines the experiences of doctoral students of color writing the dissertation currently and those who successfully defended their dissertation after the onset of COVID-19 and subsequent shutting down of college campuses in March 2020. While we know that scholars of color experience many barriers to completing the dissertation process prior to COVID-19 such as being in racist academic environments and being engaged in research areas that may not be supported by predominantly White faculty, it is important to consider how scholars of color are managing the dissertation process during this pandemic.

We approach this book from an asset-based approach where chapter authors are approaching both the challenges and opportunities they have experienced due to being a dissertation writer during the pandemic. Chapter authors also provide poignant feedback on how professors can be supportive to their needs as dissertation writers. One especially important contribution of this book is that our authors are from a variety of disciplines including: education, social work, psychology, African American studies, and sociology. Additionally, chapter authors are doctoral candidates (and recent graduates) at predominantly White institutions, historically Black colleges and universities, and online universities. Given the breadth of institution types each chapter will provide poignant suggestions for doctoral students across the nation as well as for faculty who are looking to better understand the dissertation writer experience to support their own students.

Because of the novelty of COVID-19, little is known about how doctoral students engaged in writing the dissertation during COVID19 are adapting. Moreover, there is little information available for professors on how to support their doctoral students during these unprecedented times. Thus, Dissertating During a Pandemic: Narratives of Success from Scholars of Color is positioned to be a must read for professors looking to support their doctoral student advisees as well as for doctoral students who are looking for strategies to navigate the dissertation process during the pandemic and beyond.

“As a man of color, our image and reputation is everything. I have always kept my personal life and my private life separately. However, when I transitioned into higher education, I saw men who walked like me, talked like me, but also lived their truth in secret like me. It wasn''t until I attended a higher education conference where I met this amazing Black man and he told me these words. No matter what you do in this life to thy own self always be true. You have one life, so live it and live it unapologetically. From that moment on, I begin to live my truth. One thing that I have learned is that people will not always respect your choices of how you live your life, however they will respect how you carry yourself when you live the life that you live in a positive light. So today, I am living my life mentoring, coaching, and inspiring the next generation of same gender-living males, because you only have one life to live and you can have it all. Success, love, truth, respect, but most importantly a life free from shame and guilt of denying who you are.” –Desmond Dunklin

“One experience that helped shape my identity as a Black, same-gender-loving male was during the height of the pandemic and quarantining. At that time, everyone was stuck inside, while also seeking community outside of our own minds. I was able to find community and curate a space on the audio app, “Clubhouse”. I came together with a group of talented Black Queer men to create the group, “Black Gay Men Chat”! On the app, we were able to educate and highlight the lived experiences of Black SGL men across the world. I tapped into my creativity and my voice in so many ways, by producing multiple projects such as: a talent show through the “Black & Gay” group, a seductive improv audio show, “The Art of Seduction”, a shoot your shot show “The Black Gay Bachelor”, a book club called “Reading Rainbow”, and facilitating/moderating multiple conversations across the platform (crystal meth in the Black Queer community, Black Gay Fatherhood, Dating Red Flags, etc). This experience shaped my identity because I was able to share/facilitate a space with individuals that were able to challenge me and validate my lived experiences, while bringing new perspectives to the conversations. Our group currently has 7,000+ members and showed me the power and influence that we have as Black Queer people when we come together. I recognize that at times society will not accept us fully which was evident in heterosexual spaces on the app where the expectation was for us to show-up "Black first", but we are full people, and we deserve to share and take up all the space we desire, while standing in all that we are. This experience was empowering, inspiring, and made me feel seen holistically.” –Sean Rice, Jr.

“As a Black gay male, this project holds personal significance for me, providing a rare space to openly communicate, share, and embrace Black, gay, male experiences within higher education. Each section unfolds as an individual narrative, emphasizing the importance of every unique story.” –Antione D. Tomlin, PhD

“As a man of color, our image and reputation is everything. I have always kept my personal life and my private life separately. However, when I transitioned into higher education, I saw men who walked like me, talked like me, but also lived their truth in secret like me. It wasn''t until I attended a higher education conference where I met this amazing Black man and he told me these words. No matter what you do in this life to thy own self always be true. You have one life, so live it and live it unapologetically. From that moment on, I begin to live my truth. One thing that I have learned is that people will not always respect your choices of how you live your life, however they will respect how you carry yourself when you live the life that you live in a positive light. So today, I am living my life mentoring, coaching, and inspiring the next generation of same gender-living males, because you only have one life to live and you can have it all. Success, love, truth, respect, but most importantly a life free from shame and guilt of denying who you are.” –Desmond Dunklin

“One experience that helped shape my identity as a Black, same-gender-loving male was during the height of the pandemic and quarantining. At that time, everyone was stuck inside, while also seeking community outside of our own minds. I was able to find community and curate a space on the audio app, “Clubhouse”. I came together with a group of talented Black Queer men to create the group, “Black Gay Men Chat”! On the app, we were able to educate and highlight the lived experiences of Black SGL men across the world. I tapped into my creativity and my voice in so many ways, by producing multiple projects such as: a talent show through the “Black & Gay” group, a seductive improv audio show, “The Art of Seduction”, a shoot your shot show “The Black Gay Bachelor”, a book club called “Reading Rainbow”, and facilitating/moderating multiple conversations across the platform (crystal meth in the Black Queer community, Black Gay Fatherhood, Dating Red Flags, etc). This experience shaped my identity because I was able to share/facilitate a space with individuals that were able to challenge me and validate my lived experiences, while bringing new perspectives to the conversations. Our group currently has 7,000+ members and showed me the power and influence that we have as Black Queer people when we come together. I recognize that at times society will not accept us fully which was evident in heterosexual spaces on the app where the expectation was for us to show-up "Black first", but we are full people, and we deserve to share and take up all the space we desire, while standing in all that we are. This experience was empowering, inspiring, and made me feel seen holistically.” –Sean Rice, Jr.

“As a Black gay male, this project holds personal significance for me, providing a rare space to openly communicate, share, and embrace Black, gay, male experiences within higher education. Each section unfolds as an individual narrative, emphasizing the importance of every unique story.” –Antione D. Tomlin, PhD