About the Author

The Author: Audrey P. Watkins is Associate Professor of African American Studies at Western Illinois University. She earned her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with specialization in curriculum design at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research interests include the education of people of African descent, transnationalism of older Jamaican women, social justice and education, black Englishes, Christian education, and teacher communication.

Reviews

"Audrey P. Watkins expands the idea that curriculum is embodied in lived experience in and out of school. She weaves her own life curricula with that of other African-American women in workplaces, families, homes, churches, and schools to help individuals reflect on their past, act upon their present, and imagine their future as they compose their lives filled with hopes, dreams, and possibilities." (William H. Schubert, Professor and University Scholar, University of Illinois at Chicago)
"Audrey P. Watkins has done a superb job of connecting her own rich and resilient history to those of the African-American women whom she interviewed. The insights that the author and interviewees provide on topics such as education, family values, religion, the workforce, race relations, and societal inequities will be beneficial to parents, educators, policymakers, and anyone else who is interested in learning valuable lessons from the `school of life.'" (Gail L. Thompson, Professor, School of Educational Studies, Claremont Graduate University; Author, `Up Where We Belong: Helping African American and Latino Students Rise in School and in Life')