An eloquent, personal case for college leadership based on building communal governance and institutional trust.
Who wants to be a college president today?
After the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, the increasing suspicions about higher education in America, the assertions of student protest, and the oversight (or overreach) of politicians into university management—after all of this, who wants the job? Tatum thinks you should. The former president of Spelman College and Mount Holyoke, she is the author of a classic study of race relations on campus, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? Her new book, part memoir, part manifesto, and part memorandum, makes the case for leadership in higher education as a matter of interactive listening and shared governance. Tatum offers a series of case studies of conflict resolution to come up with some ways of balancing free speech and personal respect, community participation and executive decision-making, and faculty academic freedom and scholarly standards. What is her answer? Listen to as many voices as you can. Never make a decision that comes as an absolute surprise. And don’t call the police. Tatum translates DEI into ABC: affirm the identity of all students; build a shared sense of community; nurture the leadership capacity of the students. This recipe may not work for everyone. The author acknowledges that leadership in any institution is not so much a matter of following a script as cultivating character. “Institutions must rely on the quality and character of leadership to think clearly, communicate effectively, and make hard decisions in a timely manner, providing calm and reassurance amid communal anxiety.” Tatum is someone with great judgment and sagacity, patience and persistence. It will be left to the next generation of college leaders to see if her example can translate into their own success.
An eloquent, personal case for college leadership based on building communal governance and institutional trust.Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781541606616
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Basic Books
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
This guide to Black culture for White people is accessible but rarely easy.
A former NFL player casts his gimlet eye on American race relations.
In his first book, Acho, an analyst for Fox Sports who grew up in Dallas as the son of Nigerian immigrants, addresses White readers who have sent him questions about Black history and culture. “My childhood,” he writes, “was one big study abroad in white culture—followed by studying abroad in black culture during college and then during my years in the NFL, which I spent on teams with 80-90 percent black players, each of whom had his own experience of being a person of color in America. Now, I’m fluent in both cultures: black and white.” While the author avoids condescending to readers who already acknowledge their White privilege or understand why it’s unacceptable to use the N-word, he’s also attuned to the sensitive nature of the topic. As such, he has created “a place where questions you may have been afraid to ask get answered.” Acho has a deft touch and a historian’s knack for marshaling facts. He packs a lot into his concise narrative, from an incisive historical breakdown of American racial unrest and violence to the ways of cultural appropriation: Your friend respecting and appreciating Black arts and culture? OK. Kim Kardashian showing off her braids and attributing her sense of style to Bo Derek? Not so much. Within larger chapters, the text, which originated with the author’s online video series with the same title, is neatly organized under helpful headings: “Let’s rewind,” “Let’s get uncomfortable,” “Talk it, walk it.” Acho can be funny, but that’s not his goal—nor is he pedaling gotcha zingers or pleas for headlines. The author delivers exactly what he promises in the title, tackling difficult topics with the depth of an engaged cultural thinker and the style of an experienced wordsmith. Throughout, Acho is a friendly guide, seeking to sow understanding even if it means risking just a little discord.
This guide to Black culture for White people is accessible but rarely easy.Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-80046-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The sub-title of this book is "Reflections on Education with Special Reference to the Teaching of English in the Upper Forms of Schools." But one finds in it little about education, and less about the teaching of English. Nor is this volume a defense of the Christian faith similar to other books from the pen of C. S. Lewis. The three lectures comprising the book are rather rambling talks about life and literature and philosophy. Those who have come to expect from Lewis penetrating satire and a subtle sense of humor, used to buttress a real Christian faith, will be disappointed.
Pub Date: April 8, 1947
ISBN: 1609421477
Page Count: -
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1947
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