As a sociologist, I am motivated by my desire to understand the social, economic and political influences on relationships in institutions. My research spans the areas of workplace stratification, workplace diversity, occupations, and intersectionality. Specifically, I focus on how race and gender affect advancement in traditionally white institutional spaces, and how systemic racism plays a critical role in the experiences of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), BIPOC women and specifically Black women within predominantly white spaces. I am particularly interested in the intersection of race and gender, and how they jointly operate on the experiences of women of color in the workplace. My research investigates how institutional practices in organizations perpetuate structures of racial and gender inequality that create barriers for BIPOC professionals.

My book You Don’t Look Like a Lawyer: Black Women and Systemic Gendered Racism was released in April 2019 in Joe R. Feagin’s prominent series Perspectives on a Multiracial America (Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.).

About the book: You Don’t Look Like A Lawyer documents how systemic gendered racism and white racial framing deny access and advancement to partnership for Black female lawyers. Drawing from narratives of black women, their experiences center around gendered racism and are embedded within institutional practices at the hands of predominantly white men. In particular, the book covers topics such as (1) appearance; (2) white narratives of affirmative action; (3) differences and similarities between white women and black men; (4) exclusion from social and professional networking opportunities (the Boys’ Club); and (5) lack of mentors, sponsors, and substantive training. The core of this book highlights the often-hidden mechanisms elite law firms utilize to perpetuate and maintain a dominant white male system. By weaving the narratives with a critical race analysis, the reader is exposed to this exclusive elite environment, demonstrating the rawness and reality of Black women’s experiences in white spaces. This framework allows us to hear the voices of Black women as they tell their stories and perspectives on working in a highly competitive, racialized, and gendered environment, and the impact it has on their advancement and beyond.
Book reviews published in Gender & Society and Law Library Journal.

To visit the publisher’s website and to order, click here.

Selected Publications

Articles in Refereed Journals

Ray, V. & Melaku. T. M. (August 2023) “Countering the Corporate Diversity Backlash.” (MIT Sloan Management Review)

Melaku. T. M.  & Beeman, A. (December 2022) “Black Women in White Academe: A Qualitative Analysis of Heightened Inclusion Tax (Ethnic and Racial Studies).

Melaku. T. M.  & Beeman, A. (March 2022) “Navigating White Academe During Crisis: The Impact of COVID-19 and Racial Violence on Women of Color Professionals.” (Gender, Work & Organizations).

Melaku. T.M.  (January 2022) “Black Women in White Spaces: The Invisible Labor Clause and The Inclusion Tax.” (American Behavioral Scientist).

Genao, S., Beeman, A. & Melaku, T. M. (January 2022) “No Woman, No Cry: Leaning on Our Academic Shields of Gendered Support.” (Journal of Education Human Resources).

Melaku. T. M. (May 2021). “The Awakening: Impact of COVID-19, Racial Upheaval and Political Polarization on Black Women Lawyers,” in “Symposium on Mental Health and the Legal Profession” (Fordham Law Review).

Melaku, T. M., Beeman, A., Smith, D. G. & Johnson, W. B. (November-December 2020). “Be a Better Ally: How white men can help their marginalized colleagues advance.” November-December 2020 Issue (Harvard Business Review Journal)

Books

Melaku, T.M. (April 2019). You Don’t Look Like A Lawyer: Black Women and Systemic Gendered Racism. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Book Chapters

Melaku, T. M., & Winkler, C. (2023). Identifying Male Allies in Your Organization: Work Together to Disrupt Systemic Inequalities. In Thriving in a Male-Dominated Workplace. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press. 

Melaku. T. M. (2023) “In Pursuit of the American Dream: Black Woman Professionals,” Routledge Handbook on the American Dream, Robert C. Hauhart and Mitja Sardoc (eds.).

Beeman, A. and Melaku, T. M. (April 2022) “In Search of Academic Freedom: To Censor Word or Deed: Why Do We Ask the Questions,” in Chapter 5: Vision of Equitable Practices, Hindsight, Insight, Foresight, S.Y. Bowland and Beth Roy (eds.) with Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.