Merze Tate: The Global Odyssey of a Black Woman Scholar

by Barbara D. Savage, Machelle Williams (Narrator)

Born in rural Michigan during the Jim Crow era, the bold and irrepressible Merze Tate (1905-1996) refused to limit her intellectual ambitions, despite living in what she called a "sex and race discriminating world." Against all odds, the brilliant and hardworking Tate earned degrees in international relations from Oxford University in 1935 and a doctorate in government from Harvard in 1941. She then joined the faculty of Howard University, where she taught for three decades of her long life spanning the tumultuous twentieth century.

This book revives and critiques Tate's prolific and prescient body of scholarship, with topics ranging from nuclear arms limitations to race and imperialism in India, Asia, the Pacific, and Africa. Tate credited her success to other women, Black and white, who helped her realize her dream of becoming a scholar. Her quest for research and adventure took her around the world twice, traveling solo with her cameras.

Barbara Savage's skilled rendering of Tate's story is built on more than a decade of research. Tate's life and work challenge provincial approaches to African American and American history, women's history, the history of education, diplomatic history, and international thought.

Genres: History

Audible Audio

Published January 23, 2024

Reviews

[Natalie DeAbreu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially coming across this book at a live panel by the author herself, she alone inspired me to learn more about this revolutionary woman's life. Reading about Tate's life and writings not only reignited my passions as an artist and writer but reminded me that while I may feel misunderstood in my artistic research, it may just mean that you are ahead of your time; similar to Merze Tate. Traveling the world could teach you a thing or two, and Barbara Savage does an amazing job, connecting the dots of Tates extraordinary life while reflecting on her underappreciated impact on academia both domestically and abroad.

[Bairavi Vijay · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the outset, I want to disclose I am ashamed of not knowing anything about such an exemplary person that lived in this country. I picked up a bookmark of books as suggested by Boston’s Museum of African American History. So glad I did
I mostly listened to the audio book and I already know so need to read this book in its entirety a few more times to grasp the magnitude of Merze Tate’s achievements, accomplishments and adventures.
A woman who lived to be 91 years made every second of her life count.
I am in awe.

[Sherri (Harte Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*