Leigh Patel

Leigh Patel is a writer, educator, and cultural worker. Her work is based in theknowledge that as long as oppression has existed so have freedom struggles. Sheis a community-based researcher as well as an eldercare provider. Prior tobeing employedas a professor, she was a middle school language arts teacher, ajournalist, and a state-level policymaker. She is also a proud national boardmember of Education for Liberation, a nonprofit that focuses on supportinglow-income people, particularly youth of color, to understand and challenge theinjustices their communities face.

Professor Patel'swriting ranges from short essays for public outlets, such as Beacon Broadside, NPR, The Conversation and The Feminist Wire, and the Chronicle for HigherEducation. Her latest book, There is NoStudy Without Struggle: Confronting Settler Colonialism in Higher Education, fromBeacon Press connects the distinct yet deeply connected forms of oppressionwhile also shedding light on the crucial nature of political education forsocial transformation. Her walk-on song is "Can I Kick It" by ATCQ. You canfollow her on twitter @lipatel.