Vanessa Siddle Walker

Vanessa Siddle Walker, the Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of African American Educational Studies at Emory University, has based her career on the examination of the segregation of the American educational system. She holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as well as a M.Ed and an Ed.D. from Harvard University.

For 25 years, Walker has diligently explored the segregated schooling of African American children, considering the climate that permeated segregated schools, the network of professional collaborations that explains the similarity across schools, and the hidden systems of advocacy that demanded equality and justice for the children in the schools.

Her in-depth research has garnered a number of awards, including the prestigious Grawmeyer Award for Education, the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Early Career Award, and awards from the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools and the American Education Studies Association. In addition, she has also been recognized with three awards from AERA Divisions, including the Best New Female Scholar Award, the Best New Book Award, and the Outstanding Book Award. Walker has also served as the president of the American Educational Research Association (AERA).

Walker is the author of several acclaimed books, including "Their Highest Potential: An African American School Community in the Segregated South," "Facing Racism in Education," and the notable non-fiction work "The Lost Education of Horace Tate: Uncovering the Hidden Heroes Who Fought for Justice in Schools." Her current research project, "Hidden Provocateurs," illuminates the history of black educators fighting for justice for black children, examining their activities before, during, and after the Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Walker has been able to share her significant research both nationally and internationally for more than 25 years. In 2012, she delivered the AERA’s annual Brown v. Board of Education Lecture in Washington, DC, with the webcast viewed by over 500 people from around the world. She continues to engage audiences as a keynote speaker at a variety of organizations and institutions, including the U.S. Department of Education, the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women, and several universities. A former National Academy of Education Fellow, Walker was named a Fellow of AERA in 2009.