Beverly Guy-Sheftall

Guy-Sheftall is a pioneer in the field of black feminist thought and writing. In 1981 she founded and became the first director of the Spelman College Women's Research and Resource Center, where she also instituted a Women's Studies program, both firsts for the college. Two years after opening the center, Guy-Sheftall co-founded SAGE: A Scholarly Journal on Black Women. Guy-Sheftall has written, edited, or co-edited ten books, including Sturdy Black Bridges: Visions of Black Women in Literature, in 1979. This book has become a classic in the field of African American and Women's Studies, along with her 1995 anthology Words of Fire: An Anthology of African American Feminist Thought (1995). Guy-Sheftall became involved in a nationwide conversation about the lyrics of rap songs and videos that often contain degrading images of women. She is past President of NWSA (National Women's Studies Association).