Dr. Dwayne Mack appointed vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at Berea College

Dr. Dwayne Mack was appointed vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at Berea College effective July 1. Dr. Mack has been with the College since 2003 and has taught American history, African American history and general studies. He currently serves as professor of history and the Carter G. Woodson Chair in African American history. He brings to the position a wealth of knowledge from research and scholarship on diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education, the civil rights movement, interracial education and the gendered past of Berea College. In this position, Mack also will be a member of the Administrative Committee.
“My approach to the vice president role is rooted in my longstanding commitment to collaborative leadership that cultivates diversity, equity and inclusion,” Mack said. “Ultimately, my work is driven by a commitment to social equality, with the aim of generating practices that have a practical impact. Creating a campus climate that is inclusive and diverse, and supports our Great Commitments and Climate Assessment Report will continue to be the most meaningful and rewarding work of my professional career. It is at the core of my research and praxis.”

Mack earned a B.A. in American history from Methodist University (North Carolina,) an M.A. in American history from North Carolina Central University, and a Ph.D. in the primary fields of American history and public history and secondary field of Latin American history from Washington State University (Washington.)
While at Washington State University, he served as coordinator of the Talmadge Anderson Heritage House, the campus African American Cultural Center. Mack is the lead editor of “Mentoring Faculty of Color: Essays on Professional Development and Advancement in Colleges and Universities,” and he also is the author of several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on the African American experience in the West and South, including “Law Enforcement in the Age of Black Lives Matter: Policing Black and Brown Bodies” and “Black Spokane: The Civil Rights Struggle in the Inland Northwest.”
“In the area of diversity and inclusion scholarship, I served as the lead editor of two books on faculty development,” Mack explained. “In our studies, we mentor emerging faculty of color from diverse backgrounds and those concerned with issues connected to equity, diversity and inclusion in academia. My coedited volume on policing black and brown is another example of my commitment to broader issues connected to diversity and implicit bias.”
In addition, Mack currently is researching for a new book on the history of interracial education at Berea, which has given him a unique perspective to understand historical antecedents that inform issues of diversity and inclusion at Berea today. His exploration is providing a firm comprehension of the institution’s evolution and how the College has arrived at this point of progress, he said.
Mack resides in Madison County. He is married to Dr. Felicia Mack, an associate professor of general studies at Berea College, and they have four children.