Joanne Margaret Braxton (born May 25, 1950) is an American author, teacher, and literary critic, an ordained minister, and CEO and President of the Board of the Braxton Institute. She has written about topics including Maya Angelou and the book ''Black Women Writing Autobiography''. Braxton has also edited works such as ''Wild Women in the Whirlwind: Afra-American Culture and the Contemporary Literary Renaissance'' and a collection of

Paul Laurence Dunbar Paul Laurence Dunbar (June 27, 1872 – February 9, 1906) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Dayton, Ohio, to parents who had been enslaved in Kentucky before the American C ...

's poetry. She is an emeritus Frances L. and Edwin L. Cummings Professor of the Humanities at the

College of William & Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William I ...

Biography

Joanne Margaret Braxton was born on May 25, 1950, in Lakeland, Maryland, to Harry McHenry Braxton and Mary Ellen Weems Braxton. She is the second born and has 3 brothers; James, Harry Jr. and Douglas, respectively. She attended the Northwestern Senior High School in

Hyattsville, Maryland Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, and also a close, urban suburb of Washington, D.C. The population was 21,187 at the 2020 United States Census. History Before Europeans reached the area, the upper ...

. She has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

, and an M.Div. from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology of

Virginia Union University Virginia Union University is a private historically black Baptist university in Richmond, Virginia. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. History The American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS) founded the school as Rich ...

. Braxton is also known as "Jodi".Braxton, Joanne (Aka Jodi) (Margaret) 5/25/1950- (2018). In S. D. Hatch (Ed.), ''Encyclopedia of African-American writing: five centuries of contribution: trials & triumphs of writers, poets, publications and organizations'' (3rd ed.). Grey House Publishing She has published some of her own poetry, including the 1977 collection ''Sometimes I Think of Maryland'', which was praised by Gwendolyn Brooks. As a literary critic, Braxton has written about topics including Maya Angelou and the books ''Black Women Writing Autobiography''. She based ''Black Women Writing Autobiography'' on her dissertation. Braxton has also edited works such as ''Wild Women in the Whirlwind: Afra-American Culture and the Contemporary Literary Renaissance'' and a collection of

's poetry. She has taught at universities including Yale and the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

and is currently an emeritus Frances L. and Edwin L. Cummings Professor of the Humanities at the

, where she directs the Middle Passage Project. Braxton is also CEO and President of the Board of the Braxton Institute for Human Sustainability Resiliency and Joy. Braxton has won an Outstanding Educator Award from the

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) is the Commonwealth's coordinating body for higher education. SCHEV was established by the Governor and General Assembly in 1956. Its mission, which is outlined in the Code of Virginia§2 ...

and several lifetime achievement awards, including an Oni Award in 2002 from the International Black Women's Congress "for uncompromising commitment to uplifting the lives of African people."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Braxton, Joanne 1950 births Living people 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers American women non-fiction writers College of William & Mary faculty Sarah Lawrence College alumni Virginia Union University alumni Writers from Maryland Yale University alumni