No Ways Tired: The Journey for Professionals of Color in Student Affairs

Volume I - Change Is Gonna Come: New and Entry-Level Professionals

Edited by:
Monica Galloway Burke, Western Kentucky University
U. Monique Robinson, Vanderbilt University

A volume in the series: Research, Advocacy, Collaboration, and Empowerment Mentoring Series. Editor(s): Donna Y. Ford, Ohio State University.

Published 2019

Even though diversity is currently conveyed as a ubiquitous principle within institutions of higher education, professionals of color still face issues such as discrimination, the glass ceiling, lack of mentoring, and limited access to career networks. Unfortunately, an open channel does not exist for professionals of color to express their frustrations and genuine concerns.

The narratives in No Ways Tired present a powerful voice about the experiences of student affairs professionals of color in higher education, including intersecting identities such as race, class, and gender. Furthermore, the narratives are nuggets of personal truth that can serve as a lens for professionals of color who wish to develop strategies to succeed as they traverse their careers in higher education. Through the sharing of their visions of success, lessons learned, and cautionary tales, the authors openly offer insights about how they have created a way to survive and thrive within higher education in spite of challenges and distractions. They also articulate a vision where student affairs professionals of color can develop fully, be authentic, use their agency, and effectively contribute.

This book includes recommendations for professionals of color at all levels within higher education and ways to construct opportunities to flourish. The ultimate goal for this book is to promote discussions regarding how professionals of color can be more proactive in developing strategies that are conducive to their professional and personal success as they navigate their higher education careers.

CONTENTS
Foreword. Introduction: No Ways Tired: The Journey for Professionals of Color in Student Affairs. Acknowledgments. A Change Is Gonna Come. First Yet Always Last: First-Generation Professionals of Color Experiences in Higher Education, Harold E. Brown. On Whose Behalf I Thrive? In Whose Voice I Speak? Hoa Dieu Bui (Bùi Diêu Hoa). Testimonios of Entry-Level Latina/o/x Student Affairs Professionals, Karla Cruze-Silva, Roberto Cruze, and Gary Santos Mendoza. Practicing Authenticity in the Workplace as a Woman of Color, Janessa Dunn. Staying Woke: Strategies for Impacting Diverse Student Populations When Not Directly Working With Them, Jarett D. Haley. The Black Experience, Terrance I. Harris. I Accidentally Discovered My Purpose, Tassany C. Henderson. The “I” In the Ivory Tower: On Fighting “I”ndividualism Through the Collective “We”, Brooke Huynh. Uplifting Counter-Narratives: The Experiences of Women of Color Student Affairs Professionals Teaching in White Classrooms, Nadeeka Karunaratne, Carol Huang, Ginny Jones Boss, and Aliya Beavers. When Grateful Isn’t Good Enough: How African-American Women Can Successfully and Strategically Navigate Professionally in Student Affairs, Jasmine M. Kelly. Resiliency in Upstate New York: Three Young Resiliency in Upstate New York: Three Young Professionals of Color and Their Journeys to Support Each Other, Vigor W. H. Lam, Catherine M. Ramirez, and Marcus E. Scales. From Audre to Lauryn: An Ode to Self-Care, Diana Morris. Where Do We Go From Here, Joi Sampson. Forced to Decide: Being Visible and Resilient, Against Colonization, Charlie Scott. Confessions of a First-Year Professional, Thaddeus R. Stegall. Tired, but Not Weary, Kevin L. Wright. Concluding Thoughts: Lift Every Voice and Sing, Monica Galloway Burke and U. Monique Robinson. About the Editors. About the Contributors.