Sage on mission to amplify black voices in academia
Academic publisher Sage has extended its partnership with Universal Write Publications (UWP) through 2026. The collaboration, which began in 2021, aims to support the company in producing and promoting academic works by black scholars.
Founded in 2004 by Dr. Ayo Sekai, a political scientist and linguist, UWP emphasizes African- and black-centered scholarship in an effort to reclaim the narrative of the culturally diverse peoples who make up our society. UWP recently announced a new collection, The Little Black Books: Research Methods for the African Diaspora, a series of culturally accurate and liberatory methodologies to decolonise research practices of people of African descent. The series is edited by Dr. Serie McDougal III, author of Research Methods in Africana Studies and professor of Pan-African studies at San Francisco State University.
"UWP centers Black scholars in crucial research areas that help all of us better understand key aspects of society and empowers future generations to apply inclusive techniques to produce research that is culturally valid," said Blaise Simqu, Sage's CEO. "As an independent company, we are dedicated to fostering the creation of scholarly works that are balanced, grounded, anti-racist, and promote a more just society. We are thrilled to support UWP in its mission to uplift and champion Black scholars."
UWP’s catalog includes impactful titles such as We Will Tell Our Own Story: The Lions of Africa Speak! by Adebayo C. Akomolafe, SKH: From Black Psychology to the Science of Being by Wade Nobles, Being Human Being: Transforming the Race Discourse by Molefi Kete Asante and Nah Dove, and Media Racism: The Impact of Media Racism in Black Women’s Lives by Marquita Gammage.
Sage says it partnership with UWP is driven by several key objectives:
- Amplify black voices: Providing a platform for black scholars and researchers.
- Promote inclusive titles: Producing and promoting works that reflect African and black lived experiences.
- Mentorship and support: Guiding and mentoring up-and-coming black authors and scholars.
- Expand scholarship: Enhancing the catalog of African- and black-centered works.
- Catalyse discussions: Promoting ongoing dialogue around Afrocentric knowledge and scholarship.
Since the partnership began, UWP has leveraged Sage's support to provide greater visibility for black scholars within academic publishing. This collaboration has allowed academics and post-doctorate researchers to publish work that is framed through the African lens and reflective of their lived experiences. Dr. Sekai has implemented diversity-focused editorial guidelines through this alliance to encourage diverse author representation and perspectives in her publications. UWP has also expanded its pool of Black reviewers to ensure a fair and inclusive peer-review process.
"This partnership represents a commitment to nurturing diverse scholarship and voices that have historically been marginalised in academic publishing,” said Dr. Sekai. “Together with Sage, we are continuing to build a platform for the critical and innovative work of black authors and researchers to be heard."
