A Revolution Of One!
Black Enterprise|July/August 2016

To win the battle for equality, women must rebel, excel, and recruit a diverse network of allies

Caroline Clarke
A Revolution Of One!

THE 2016 BARBARA GRAVES LEGACY AWARD HONOREE, N. JOYCE PAYNE, STARTED out wanting to be a speech pathologist, because she stuttered. However, she soon realized that if she simply slowed down, her speech became clear. Payne says this easy fix actually required great effort, because she was so anxious to make a difference that she didn’t want to slow down. Now, at age 68, Payne has made a career of making a difference, most notably for thousands of students at the nation’s 47 public HBCUs who have benefited from the work of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), which she founded in 1987. An authority on women’s issues in higher education and workforce participation, a semiretired Payne is still immersed in her work as a TMCF board member and champion of diversity. When we spoke recently at TMCF offices in Washington, D.C., Payne admitted that, while she no longer stutters, she has never been able to hold her tongue about issues of importance, especially those that are significant for women of color.

Has it always been in you to challenge the status quo?

This story is from the July/August 2016 edition of Black Enterprise.

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This story is from the July/August 2016 edition of Black Enterprise.

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