Contributions by Scholars of Color Interview Series: Highlights from Dr. Shiela Harmon Martin, University of the District of Columbia
Dr. Shiela Harmon-Martin, is a professor emeritae of political science at the University of the District of Columbia. In this interview, Dr. Harmon Martin reflects on her upbringing, introduction to political science, and various challenges she faced in her career, and additionally shares advice for young scholars in the discipline.
“Being a black political scientist means, for me, it meant that I had a responsibility to give back, to serve my community. First of all, I made an early conscious decision that I wanted to teach at a HBCU… And so, I made a conscious decision to stay at the University District of Columbia… it was just an opportunity for me to give back so much of what had been given to me through my career. In graduate school, in fact, this was Dr. Mac Jones’ inaugural speech as President of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists, and it was called ‘The Responsibility of the Black Political Scientists to the Black Community.’ And that became so much a part of what I wanted to do.”
This interview was conducted by APSA’s Program Manager for DEI Programs, India Angelique Simmons, at the NCOBPS Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, California on March 15, 2024.
‣ Watch the full interview series on YouTube