Years That Ask Questions, Years That Answer: Reflections of a Black Woman Professor in Early Career

In my professional and academic role, I am a university professor. In my full life, both in and outside of work, I am a Black woman of the U.S. urban south trying to survive, thrive here and there, and joy-seeking even when I don't really have the energy to do so. As I sit at the crossroads of my pre-tenured years and what lies beyond the submission of a promotion and tenure portfolio, I pause to reflect on what I know, what I now understand, and what I hope, holding in mind a myriad of influences, kaleidoscopic realities, and the cumulative knowledges I have gleaned through past and present experiences.