The Distinguished, Intellectual, Virtuous, Academic Sistas (D.I.V.A.S.) is a group of Black women who formed a bond with one another as doctoral students as a means of support on their journey through the academy. The acronym defines the women individually and as an entire group. This anthology can be used as a practical, student-centered sourcebook for Black female doctoral candidates. By providing narratives about the importance of race, class, culture, religion, socioeconomics, and nationality, this book aims to encourage more Black women to pursue a terminal degree and to continue professional development throughout their careers. It provides readers with strategies to sustain themselves while in a graduate program, on the job market, and during the tenure-earning process. Contributors are full of passion as they encourage one another while bringing the reader into their realm of the academic battlefield.

«The D.I.V.A.S. collective has re-conceived notions of powers held, and shared, by strong, scholarly, and unique women. This book challenges while it informs, combining feminism, well-being, and intellect within each chapter. A blend of narrative, research, and pedagogy, each chapter enlightens readers. The book is an artistic and rigorous presentation of qualitative research, auto-ethnography, and the aesthetic.» (Shirley R. Steinberg, Research Professor of Youth Studies, The University of Calgary)
«The D.I.V.A.S. collective has re-conceived notions of powers held, and shared, by strong, scholarly, and unique women. This book challenges while it informs, combining feminism, well-being, and intellect within each chapter. A blend of narrative, research, and pedagogy, each chapter enlightens readers. The book is an artistic and rigorous presentation of qualitative research, auto-ethnography, and the aesthetic.» (Shirley R. Steinberg, Research Professor of Youth Studies, The University of Calgary)

Cherrel Miller Dyce is Assistant Professor of Education and Faculty Fellow at The Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education at Elon University. Dr. Dyce received the Outstanding Mentor to Graduate Students Award from the American College Personnel Association (ACPA).
Toni Milton Williams is Assistant Professor in the Instruction and Teacher Education Department at the University of South Carolina. Both received their doctoral degrees from the University of North Carolina Greensboro.