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Menah Pratt-Clarke

Menah Pratt-Clarke: Building a more just and inclusive world,
starting at Virginia Tech

Menah Pr

Menah Pratt-Clarke

Vice President for Strategic Affairs and Diversity

Virginia Tech

I am the daughter of an immigrant from Sierra Leone, West Africa (my father) and the great granddaughter of an enslaved woman from Alabama (who was my mother's grandmother). I was a classical musician and professional tennis player before pursuing my degrees—including law, sociology, and literature—with a focus on humanity and identity. Combined, my education and my experience has given me the knowledge and skills I need to share with others as an educator and writer. Today, I'm most proud of my work conceptualizing and imaging a vision for a more just and inclusive world and having the privilege to make the vision a reality starting with InclusiveVT at Virginia Tech.


The literary project/published work I am most proud of...

the book/biography I wrote of my mother's life - A Black Woman's Journey from Cotton Picking to College Professsor; and a work in progress on my life: From Black Girlhood to Black Womanhood: Finding the Divine Feminine

 

What impresses me the most about Virginia Tech...

that the motto, Ut Prosim (that I may serve) is a lived motto and not merely words on a page.

 

Words of encouragement to aspiring Trailblazers...

create a bold vision, develop a clear mission for pursuing the vision, build a diverse and inclusive team, and get started.

 

Leading a university-level office for inclusion and diversity...

has been an incredible privilege and honor; challenging, yet rewarding and fulfilling; transformational, professionally and personally.

 

Best advice I've gotten...

go boldly in the direction of your dreams, and pursue the life you have imagined.

I founded the Faculty Women of Color in the Academy National Conference to...

empower, support, and encourage women of color in the academy who are often overlooked, marginalized, invisible, and dehumanized in the academy. I wanted them to step into a moment of empowerment.

 

Favorite Hokie team sport, club, or activity...

playing tennis with an incredible tennis partner and cheering for Hokie success in all sports

 

My motto in life...

empower myself to empower others.

 

The most courageous thing I've done...

is tandem bungee jump with my daughter in New Zealand from a bridge 433 feet above a body of water.

 


Additional Links

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