Dr. Karla Scott is a Professor of Communication and the Director of the African-American Studies program at Saint Louis University and has earned numerous awards for excellence in teaching and advising. She helped create an Intergroup Dialogue course that gives students a safe place to discuss race, gender, class, and other social issues. She focuses her research on giving voice to the lived experiences of black women. Her other research interests include: Race and Gender and Language and Culture. Her latest book is The Language of Strong Black Womanhood: Myths, Models, Messages, and a New Mandate for Self-Care.