Dwight A. McBride facts for kids

Dwight A. McBride (born 1967) is an American writer and leader in education. He is an expert on race and literature. For three years, he was the president of a university in New York City called The New School.

Before that, McBride held important jobs at other universities. He was a top academic leader, called a provost, at Emory University. He also taught African American studies there.

Early Life and Schooling

Dwight A. McBride was born in Honea Path, South Carolina. He grew up in the nearby town of Belton, South Carolina. In 1986, he graduated from Belton-Honea Path High School.

After high school, McBride went to the famous Princeton University. There, he studied English and African American studies. He continued his education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he earned his master's degree and a PhD in English.

A Career in Education

McBride began his teaching career at the University of Pittsburgh. He later became a dean at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he was in charge of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences from 2007 to 2010.

Next, he worked at Northwestern University. He was a professor of African American Studies, English, and Performance Studies. He also held leadership roles as the Dean of the Graduate School and Associate Provost.

In 2017, he moved to Emory University. He became the Provost, which is a very important job that helps run the university's academic programs. On April 16, 2020, he became the ninth president of The New School. He left this position in August 2023.

Writing and Editing Books

McBride is a well-known author and editor. He has written and helped create many books that explore important topics in American history and culture.

Notable Books

Some of his most famous works include:

• James Baldwin Now (1999): A collection of essays about the writer James Baldwin.
• Impossible Witnesses: Truth, Abolitionism, and Slave Testimony (2002): A book that studies the stories told by enslaved people.
• Why I Hate Abercrombie and Fitch: Essays on Race and ... (2005): A collection of his own essays.
• Black Like Us: A Century of ..., ..., and ... African American Fiction (2011): An award-winning collection of stories he helped edit.

Other Works

McBride has also worked with other scholars to edit several books and journals. He helped create a special issue of the journal Callaloo and edited books about writers like Melvin Dixon. He is a founding editor of a journal called the James Baldwin Review. He also co-edits a book series called The New Black Studies.

Works

• ed. James Baldwin Now (1999)
• Impossible Witnesses: Truth, Abolitionism, and Slave Testimony (2002)
• Why I Hate Abercrombie & Fitch: Essays On Race and ... (2005)
• ed. Black Like Us: A Century of ..., ..., and ... African American Fiction (2002)
• A Melvin Dixon Critical Reader (2010)