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The role of Super Woman in black America can be readily applied to a woman who can balance the relentless pursuit of academic achievement, professional success, and outstanding motherhood, all at the same time. Miriam Harris (a.k.a. Duchess) is a textbook example of what we all want our daughters to become. She is a mother of three, and has both a PhD and a law degree. The Ivy League-educated supermom is not only "about her business," she is deeply committed to the business of using her vast intellect to make the world a better place for both women and people of color. In other words, she's not just a Black PhD, she is actually a "Ph-Do." AOL Black Voices was able to catch up with Professor Harris for the Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight:
What is your name and what do you do for a living?
My name is Duchess Harris and I am an Associate Professor of American Studies at Macalester College.
What is your area of expertise and what made you pursue this particular area of study?
When I was fourteen, I won an academic scholarship to become a boarding student at the Canterbury School in New Milford, CT. At Canterbury, I was quite a stranger to the wealth of my classmates. The first year that I was there a student asked me, "Where do you summer?" I didn't understand the question until I realized that "summer" was being used as a verb -- my classmates had summer homes.
Unable to relate to their class privilege, I also felt isolated from the other five black students at the school -- I was the only one not from the inner city. Instead, I grew up in a Connecticut suburb, where my father worked as an air traffic controller and my mother took care of the home. Socially marooned at boarding school, I focused on academics.
My commitment to academic excellence eventually paid off, and I gained admission to the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, I won a Fellowship from the Mellon Foundation, was inducted into the Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society and the Onyx Senior Honor Society. On graduation I won the Alice Paul Award, Raymond Pace Alexander Award, and the Althea K. Hottel Award, which is the highest senior honor award given in a class of 2,500.
Much of my recognition came because I was elected student body president. As the first black woman to lead an Ivy League student government, I spearheaded an initiative to remove from university housing a fraternity with members who had been convicted of a sexual assault; this made a prime location available to a community service organization. My activism in college has been written about in Wayne Glasker's,
'Black Students in the Ivory Tower: African American Student Activism at the University of Pennsylvania, 1967-1990' (p 168).
My experience of being the first black woman to lead a student government in the Ivy League, while simultaneously being mentored by
Mary Frances Berry, inspired me to wonder how the stories of black women's activism are told.
After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, I enrolled at the University of Minnesota, where I earned my PhD in American Studies, writing my dissertation on black women's organizing in response to Black Power and the Second Wave of Feminism. At the completion of my PhD, I was one of two graduates in a class of sixteen to be nominated for the American Studies Association National Dissertation Prize. I graduated in May 1997, and in December was named one of Thirty Young Leaders of the Future under the age of thirty by Ebony Magazine. I spent the next years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute on Race and Poverty at the University of Minnesota Law School, which was directed by
john a. powell at the time.
I joined the faculty at Macalester College in 1998. During the Spring 2003 semester at Macalester, several colleagues and I developed a proposal to create a new "Department of American Studies," which would house the formerly independent but closely connected African American Studies and Comparative North American Studies programs. Collectively, we viewed American Studies as a rubric that should inspire collaboration and healthy debate about the borders and boundaries of citizenship, responsibility, and intellectual work. After finalizing the new program, I was proud to serve as the department's first chairperson for the next two years. Under my leadership, we attracted twenty majors to the department, which placed us in the top third.
I was awarded tenure in 2004. In 2007 I decided that attending law school would allow me to expand my teaching possibilities further. I was admitted to William Mitchell College as a "William Mitchell Fellow" (1 of 21 in an entering class of 336). I started taking courses in the part-time evening program, so that I could continue teaching at Macalester.
You have both a law degree and a PhD, in addition to raising three children. How do you manage it all and what pushed you to achieve so much?
On January 15th, I will graduate from William Mitchell College of Law. When I started law school all three of my kids were in diapers, and I worked full time the first two years. Despite numerous obstacles, I have walked this long and winding road and reached my goal. I have very few regrets because I know that I did the best that I could with what I had. Law school wasn't what I expected, but I surprised myself with how many times I got up after being knocked down. I only missed one day of class after my pulmonary embolism, and I returned to law school more determined than ever.
The rigor of law school enhanced my discipline; and in turn I contributed with an
online race and the law journal. In Contracts [class at law school] they call that a bargain for exchange. I am humble enough to realize that I took more than I gave in the course of my education; but I am proud to have launched the first online, interactive scholarly publication dedicated to the complex issues surrounding race and the law in return. As Ruthie Wilson Gilmore said in her presidential address to the American Studies Association, "Infiltrate what exists, innovate what doesn't." I hope my small innovation with this journal will contribute to a re-examination of where our legal system doesn't provide equal protection under the laws.
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The Books That Mattered In 2010
From Nikki Giovanni and Eric Jerome Dickey to Isabel Wilkerson and Finesse Mitchell, we reached out to some of our favorite authors and asked them to share the books that touched them in 2010. Join BV on Books blogger Lynette Holloway for a look at the books that mattered in 2010.
Photo by Kent Nishimura - Pool/Getty Images
AP
BlackVoices.com
The Books That Mattered In 2010
From Nikki Giovanni and Eric Jerome Dickey to Isabel Wilkerson and Finesse Mitchell, we reached out to some of our favorite authors and asked them to share the books that touched them in 2010. Join BV on Books blogger Lynette Holloway for a look at the books that mattered in 2010.
The Books That Mattered In 2010
Decoded by Jay-Z
"Someone once asked me if I illustrate books. 'Words illustrate thoughts,' I replied, so, yes, I illustrate books.' Someone must have asked Jay-Z a similar question, but he probably answered: 'My work illustrates my life; not vice versa.' 'Decoded' is one of the best books of 2010 because Shawn Carter decodes hip-hop and comes up Jay-Z, a poet. And what a case he makes for his work and for the legitimacy of the hip-hop nation. What a case he makes for having a good heart and good dreams. What a case he makes for the future of creativity. 'Decoded' is one man's journey through hip-hop, slam, bustin' rhymes. But the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria were not the journey of three men but the ships captained by a young man dreaming of spices. CC stumbled into a new world; Jay-Z didn't stumble or fumble. ... He used his heart and incredible brain to draw a map and put train tracks all the way back to our ancestors on it. It's a journey you will want to take. All Aboard!"
-Nikki Giovanni, the award-winning poet, is editor of the recently released 'The 100 Best African American Poems.' (Sourcebooks MediaFusion)
The Books That Mattered In 2010
'The Prophet' by Khalil Gibran
"This year I had the opportunity to read 'The Prophet' for the first time. I've heard a lot of praise about this book, but the practical life lessons it offers really are timeless. Whether it's love, friendship, marriage, passion, knowledge or religion, it relates to a harmonious lifestyle we can all learn from. It's a quick read, but I guarantee you'll pick it up whenever you need a reminder of a deeper, more meaningful perspective on your life. Make it a 2011 must-read, folks!"
-Finesse Mitchell is the author of 'Your Girlfriends Only Know So Much' (Simon & Schuster).
The Books That Mattered In 2010
'Wench' by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
"This book, her first novel, told the stories of four enslaved women who were taken by their masters to a resort in the free state of Ohio in the mid-1850's. Although all of them are enslaved, she creates four distinct characters who have very specific reactions to their condition, to their masters and to the possibility of freedom. Her language is elegant and beautiful even when she is describing the most horrific crimes against these women. The book was unlike any other novel I've ever read set during slavery in America. She handled a subject that has been examined many times and made it fresh, new and amazing."
-Pearl Cleage is the author of 'Till You Hear From Me' (One World/Ballantine).
The Books That Mattered In 2010
'Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority' by Tom Burrell
"Tom Burrell poses a healthy challenge to African Americans that racism is not our problem; our response to racism can often be our problem. Along these lines, I have long been a firm believer that the prosperity of our community does not rest in lamenting over our challenges, but rather taking proactive, decisive action to overcome those challenges. 'Brainwashed' takes an identical stance. Finally, the book is about more than just 'talking the talk,' but also 'walking the walk.' Brainwashed is a laudable contribution to African American and American literature."
-Randal Pinkett, a winner of NBC's hit reality television show 'The Apprentice' with Donald Trump, is author of 'Black Face in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness.' (AMACOM)
The Books That Mattered In 2010
'Have A Little Faith' by Mitch Albom
"This is the book that impacted me the most this year. It's the true story of two men, Rabbi Albert Lewis and Pastor Henry Covington, one a rabbi and one a black gospel minister, whose paths to faith are different but similar because they both lead to a true faith in God. This book is a must for people who believe they will never be able to overcome adversity, their past or experiences that altered their life. From the first page, I was riveted and read it at every possible chance. Reading their stories encouraged me to continue to fight the good fight of faith even when my life seems to be turning upside down. It also let me see how one's life can be so fulfilling -- from love to death, from failures to triumph, from fear to faith. I know both men impacted Mitch's life; it's evidenced in the words he wrote, but they have both impacted and encouraged my life as well. It's a must-read for anyone who desires a glimpse of what faith and hope can do."
-Patti Webster is author of 'It Happened in Church: Stories of Humor from the Pulpit to the Pews' (Souls of My Sisters/Kensington).
The Books That Mattered In 2010
'Sins of the Mother' by Victoria Christopher Murray
"This book mattered because it was simply a great read. Victoria Christopher Murray brings back the love-to-hate character Jasmine Cox Larson Bush. This time, however, Jasmine is not the cause of the havoc in her life. When her 4-year-old daughter is kidnapped from a mall in Harlem, Jasmine, as expected, is frantic with fear and grief. She has caused so much pain in other people's lives that there is an abundance of suspects -- so many who may want to hurt Jasmine in this way. As the days move on with no signs of their daughter, Jasmine and her husband face many issues of our time, including the difficulty of getting media coverage for a missing black child and every parent's fear: pedophiles. 'Sins of the Mother' is a suspenseful, heart-pounding read. I love great story lines, and I love writers who take the African American reading experience to a new height."
-Eric Jerome Dickey is the author of the new best seller 'Tempted By Trouble' (Dutton, Penguin USA).
The Books That Mattered In 2010
'Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self' by Danielle Evans
"In eight perfectly manicured short stories in her debut collection, Danielle Evans manages to turn her readers into flies and family. Each story is a study in intimacy and space -- the closeness and distance between lovers, best friends, or brothers and sisters. The book also touches on issues of race, sex, class and obligation. One of my favorites is 'Robert E. Lee is Dead,' the tale of two high school sweethearts - BFFs - who, after spending four years learning each other's secrets, will soon be separated by miles and much more. 'Before You Suffocate' is about a generation as much as it is about everybody."
-Helena Andrews is the author of 'Bitch is the New Black.' (HarperCollins)
The Books That Mattered In 2010
'Playing The Hand You're Dealt' by Trice Hickman
"I loved this story because it centered on an amazing relationship between two women who have been best friends since their freshman year in college. The kind of closeness they shared noticeably paralleled the same kind of closeness most sisters share, but what was also very interesting was the fact that Emily and Samantha couldn't have been more different personality-wise. Trice Hickman's novel was a wonderful page-turner that I never wanted to put down, and I'm so glad I had a chance to read it."
-Kimberla Lawson Roby, a New York Times best-selling author, will release 'Love, Honor, and Betray' on Jan. 10. (Grand Central Publishing)
The Books That Mattered In 2010
'Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer' by Siddhartha Mukherjee
"There were so many great and meaningful works of nonfiction published in 2010, many of them produced after a decade or more of research. It is nearly impossible to narrow them down to only one. Pressed to do so, however, one stand out in my mind. 'The Emperor of All Maladies: A
Biography of Cancer.' Mukherjee is as much philosopher-poet as he is physician, exploring with empathy and lyricism the history and science of a disease that spares no one, always with his eyes trained on the patients who give meaning and inspiration to his journey."
-Isabel Wilkerson, a Pulitzer-Prize-winning New York Times journalist, is author of 'The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story America's Great Migration.' (Random House)
The Books That Mattered In 2010
Tell us about your experience with the school to prison pipeline. What are some of the major problems and what are some suggested solutions?
Working with William Mitchell's ReEntry Clinic has taught me in the most immediate way that the law and legal proceedings can be a powerful, effective form of intervention and assistance in the lives of people who have been disenfranchised, abused, and dispossessed. On April 3, 2010 The Huffington Post
published my reflections on this experience.
When I launched my blog a year ago today I wrote: "My goal is to provide legal assistance to disenfranchised women and their families. This will benefit women who are leaving prison, and their children; it will also benefit me, the law student, who is learning how to advocate for them." Women who have been incarcerated need advocates and I know what it's like to advocate for someone who doesn't have a voice. My experience as a parent, an academic, and as a law student will help me to bring these women's stories to a wider audience. The stories of these mothers have the potential to inspire law schools across the nation to open clinics similar to the one that I will participate in. Just as you have listened to my story, I can listen to their stories, and let you hear their voices. God gave Noah the rainbow sign -- my name is Duch, I'm ready this time.
I thought I was ready, but I don't know if anyone is ready for the work I've done this year. Films like 'Precious' present the stories of the poor and there is almost always transformation, realization, redemption, accompanied by moving theme music. Lives are changed in the span of two hours, usually through the intervention of a teacher, a social worker, one person who believes they can make a difference. I wanted to be that person. But reality is a much grimmer affair. There's no easy solution for the crushing blows that come with poverty; drug abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, ignorance and mental illness. Not even Oprah, with all her billions, can wave a magic wand and fix it. Here are just a few of the daunting statistics about women in prison:
-57% have a history of physical or sexual abuse.
-63% are non-white or minorities.
-64% have not finished high school.
-74% used drugs regularly before their incarceration.
-Most women in prison are incarcerated for non-violent crimes.
-Women frequently engage in criminal activities with their romantic partners.
In the fall I met "Star," a 44-year-old Black woman incarcerated at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Shakopee who could check all of the above. Her older sister's husband molested "Star" when she was 13. She had a baby when she was 19, another child at 21, married that child's father, and then had her third child at 28.
Her husband used to beat her and she had a restraining order against him. He eventually crossed state lines and committed several bank robberies, and is incarcerated in a penitentiary in Virginia. She shared that this was a huge relief, because he was violent and HIV positive. Her incarceration was for aiding and abetting her husband.
She arrived at Shakopee in December 2006. At the time, her youngest child was 12. She sent her daughter to live with the same brother-in-law who molested her. Her daughter was molested and eventually removed from their home. He was not prosecuted. Star was set to be released four days before Christmas, and at that point she'd regain custody of her 9th grader daughter who hadn't seen her in three years. There would be much work to do, to break the cycle of violence and poverty.
But that's where I came in. As a certified student attorney from William Mitchell College of Law, Star asked me to help her obtain a dissolution of marriage from her husband, who would not be eligible for parole until 2033. That was my legal assignment. When she was released, I was also responsible for helping her re-unite with her daughter, obtain housing, and find employment. She had a history of drug abuse and claimed to have been clean for four years. But that didn't add up, because she also admitted that she missed her mother's 2006 funeral because she was strung out. I was to help Star with rehab as well.
She was the poor drug addict and sexual abuse survivor. I was the privileged professor/law student who was there to make the difference, to help her turn her life around. There was no theme music. There was no happy ending.
I worked on Star's divorce from September to December. I went to visit her a week before her release and assured her that I'd do everything in my power to help her re-enter society. When I called after the holiday to tell her that the divorce papers were drafted, I discovered that she and her daughter had left the state to return to her sister's home, to live with her and the brother in law that had molested Star and Star's daughter.
In real life, it isn't precious.
As I alluded to earlier, there is a significant divide between the ivory tower and "real life" problems. Sometimes theories that seem rational and reasonable in an institutional setting don't work in the practical applications of day-to-day living. A multitude of social theories have failed to result in the development of interventions to solve the problems of poverty and crime, and as the number of women who are incarcerated increases exponentially, the effect on their families, children, and communities, puts the fabric of our society at risk. My experiences with the legal clinic have provided a template for bridging the divide between theory and practice, providing an example of the way that I can use existing institutions and their services and resources to the benefit of my clients.
Because the clinic was not for me, I returned to scholarship.
Tell us about your book. Why should people read it?
My first book,
'Black Feminist Politics from Kennedy to Clinton,' was released in July 2009. It was a journey that started with questions.
Why was Dr. Joycelyn Elders forced to leave her post? Why didn't any of the women in the Congressional Black Caucus who voted against Clarence Thomas dare to speak on behalf of Anita Hill? Why was Congresswoman Barbara Lee alone in her opposition to the Iraq war resolution?
Since the sixties, black women have tried to gain centrality by their participation in presidential commissions, black feminist organizations, theatrical productions, film adaptations of literature, beauty pageants, electoral politics, and presidential appointments. But looking at the years between 1961 and 200, were black women able to gain real political power?
'Black Feminist Politics' was released the same month that former U.S. representative Cynthia McKinney was taken into custody by Israeli military officials, while she was on a humanitarian mission to provide aid to the ravaged Palestinian citizens in Gaza.
It was released the same month that President Barack Obama nominated my husband's colleague, Dr. Regina Benjamin, to be Surgeon General, 15 years after President Bill Clinton fired Dr. Joycelyn Elders.
July 2009 was a time that we got to witness a woman of color participating in a Senate confirmation hearing for an actual seat on the Supreme Court, as opposed to being judged by 98 male senators during someone else's confirmation.
The second edition of the book, 'Black Feminist Politics from Kennedy to Obama,' will be released in May 2011. In a new final chapter I discuss President Obama's report card as it relates to black women. You can view a snap shot of this at
The Scholar and Feminist Online.
Is there anything else you'd like to share with our AOL Black Voices audience?
In July 2009 my family was featured in Essence Magazine as a two career couple raising three children, including one who thrives with autism. I enjoy corresponding with parents of special needs children.
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Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the bookBlack American Money To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. To suggest a subject for a Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight, please click here.
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Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
