Irma McClaurin facts for kids

Irma P. McClaurin is an American writer, scientist, and leader. She writes poetry, studies human cultures (anthropology), teaches at universities, and helps people become better leaders. She was the first woman to be president of Shaw University. She has written or edited several books about the culture of Belize, the ideas of black feminism, African-American history, and her own poems.

Early Life and Education

Irma McClaurin started writing stories and poems when she was young. She kept these writings safe. She was the first person in her family to go to college and earn a degree. As an African American woman, she experienced unfair treatment. Her studies in anthropology helped her understand her own African American culture better. She learned about the challenges and unfairness people faced every day.

McClaurin grew up in Chicago. She studied American Studies at Grinnell College and graduated in 1973. Later, she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in English from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1976. She was part of the first generation in her family to earn college degrees.

While raising her family, she returned to the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She earned her Ph.D. in anthropology in 1993.

Career Highlights

After her studies, McClaurin became a professor at the University of Florida. She also worked as an editor for the journal Transforming Anthropology from 1996 to 2002.

Leadership Roles

McClaurin held several important leadership positions:

• She worked as an administrator at Fisk University.
• In 2004, she became the Mott Distinguished Chair in Women's Studies at Bennett College. There, she started the Africana Women's Studies Program.
• From 2005 to 2007, she was a program officer at the Ford Foundation.
• In 2007, she founded the Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center at the University of Minnesota. She became its executive director.
• From 2010 to 2011, she served as president of Shaw University. She was the first woman to hold this role. During her time, she helped the university recover after it was badly damaged by a tornado in 2011.

After leaving Shaw University, she became a senior faculty member at the Federal Executive Institute. Later, she was the chief diversity officer for Teach For America.

Black Feminist Archive

In 2016, Irma McClaurin created the Black Feminist Archive. This project aims to collect the personal stories of Black women. It includes their accomplishments, big or small, and their thoughts on the African American community. McClaurin wanted the archive to show society that Black women are important and their contributions matter. She found many stories that helped people see Black women in a new way.

In 2021, McClaurin explained her reasons for creating the Black Feminist Archive in an interview. She talked about how important it is for Black women to be recognized for their hard work in fields like anthropology. She believes the stories of the African American community need to be seen and heard, not ignored.

Published Works

McClaurin has written or edited several books. Her work often explores culture, gender, and history.

Books on Culture and History

• Women of Belize: Gender and Change in Central America (1996): In this book, McClaurin shares her research on the culture of Belize. She writes about how girls and boys are raised, gender inequality, and traditional practices among women. The book includes personal stories about women's lives in Belize.
• Black Feminist Anthropology: Theory, Politics, Praxis, and Poetics (edited, 2001): This book explores the ideas of Black feminist anthropology.
• The Civil Rights Movement (with Virginia Schomp, 2008): This book is about the Civil Rights Movement in American history.
• Facing the Future (with Virginia Schomp, 2008): Another book in the Drama of African-American History series.

Poetry Books

• Black Chicago (1971)
• Song in the Night (1974)
• Pearl's Song: Poems (1988)

Awards and Recognition

Irma McClaurin has received several awards for her writing and her work:

• In 1975, she won the Gwendolyn Brooks Literary Award for Poetry.
• In 2015, the Black Press of America named her column, "A Black mother weeps for America: Stop killing our Black sons!", the best in the country for that year.
• The University of Massachusetts Amherst recognized her as a distinguished alumna in 2016.
• In 2017, the National Women's Studies Association gave her a special award. This was for her important contributions to the association through her work at the Ford Foundation.