Rita Smith-Wade-El
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Rita Smith-Wade-El | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 October 1948 |
| Died | 29 December 2018 (aged 70) |
| Occupation | Academic |
| Nationality | American |
| Subject | Psychology, African-American studies |
Rita Smith-Wade-El (October 1, 1948 – December 29, 2018)[1] was an American professor of psychology, women's studies, and African-American studies.
Smith-Wade-El was born in Washington, D.C. to Eva Mae and James Edward Smith.[2][3] She received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Barnard College and both her master's degree and Doctor of Philosophy in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.[4] In her youth, she was a member of the Black Panther Party and Students for a Democratic Society.[5]
Career
Smith-Wade-El was a professor of psychology, Pan-African studies, and women's studies at Temple University for ten years.[3][4] For 35 years she taught at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, where she was the director of African-American studies.[3] She created the African-American studies minor and was instrumental in the creation of the Latino studies minor.[3] She left the university in 2018 due to her diagnosis of breast cancer.[6] She was the education chair of the Lancaster, Pennsylvania branch of the NAACP.[7]