Larycia Hawkins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Larycia Hawkins
Born	Larycia Alaine Hawkins (1972-08-22) August 22, 1972 (age 52) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Alma mater	Rice University (B.A.) 1994 University of Oklahoma (M.P.A.) 2001, (Ph.D.) 2007
Institutions	University of Virginia (current) Wheaton College (2007–Feb 10, 2016)
Main interests	American government and politics Religion and politics Policy and politics Race and welfare politics Interest groups and political advocacy Research methodology

Larycia Alaine Hawkins (born August 22, 1972) is an American scholar, writer, and speaker. In 2013, she became the first African-American woman to earn a permanent teaching position, called "tenure," at Wheaton College. This college is a Christian school focused on liberal arts. At Wheaton, she was an associate professor who taught about politics.

In December 2015, Dr. Hawkins became part of a big discussion. She posted on her personal Facebook page about showing support for both Christians and Muslims. She wore a hijab, a head covering, to show she stood with Muslim women. This happened when Muslims in the U.S. were facing more difficulties.

Wheaton College put her on paid leave while they looked into her statement. She had said that "Christians and Muslims worship the same god." The school wanted to see if this idea fit with their main Christian beliefs. On February 8, 2016, Dr. Hawkins and Wheaton College announced they had reached an agreement. They decided to go their separate ways. Later, in March 2016, she was named a special visiting professor at the University of Virginia. She now teaches and does research at Lincoln University.

Early Life and Education

Dr. Hawkins was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She grew up in Shawnee, Oklahoma. She studied History and Sociology at Rice University in Houston, Texas. She earned her first degree there in 1994.

She then went to the University of Oklahoma. She received a Master's degree in Public Administration in 2001. In 2007, she completed her Ph.D. there in political science. Political science is the study of how governments work and how people make decisions in society. Her research looked at how black religious ideas connect to political speeches and goals. This included groups like the Congressional Black Caucus and the NAACP.

Career Highlights

Early in her career, Dr. Hawkins worked with government programs. These included the Social Security Disability program. She also worked with the Community Development Block Grant program.

In 2007, Dr. Hawkins joined the faculty at Wheaton College. She started as an assistant professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations. In 2014, she earned "tenure." This means she got a permanent teaching job and was promoted to associate professor. She was the first African American woman to achieve tenure at Wheaton College since it started in 1860.

On April 26, 2019, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities announced something special. Dr. Hawkins was chosen to be their main speaker for their graduation ceremony. Her speech was titled "you were made for such a time as this."