Marcia Alesan Dawkins, Ph.D.

Marcia Alesan Dawkins, Ph.D., is an award-winning educator, scholar, author, and Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Creative Leadership. Marcia’s pronouns are she/her/ella. She’s been active in teaching, leadership training, research, and speaking for two decades. She’s taught at the University of Southern California, California State University, Fullerton, and East China Normal University in Shanhgai, China, and her advanced degrees in Communication and Humanities have influenced her approach to working with leaders in the business world. As a result, she has published, presented, written, and taught in each of these areas.

Her first book, Clearly Invisible: Racial Passing and the Color of Cultural Identity, was nominated for the Grawemeyer Award. Her second book, Eminem: The Real Slim Shady was recognized by the NAACP and the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Her scholarly work has since been recognized by the Social Science Research Council and the National Communication Association.

Marcia’s thought leadership has also been featured in media outlets such as BBC World, NPR, AOL Originals, ABC News, HuffPo Live, The Leadership Alliance, Truthdig and a number of podcasts. A native New Yorker, she now lives in Long Beach, CA, with her partner, Harry and child, Lee.