Biography of Marlene G. Fine
I grew up in Belmar, New Jersey, a small resort community on the Jersey shore. We moved seven miles north to Deal Park, another Jersey shore community, when I was thirteen. I received my B.A. in Speech from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and my M.A. in Speech Communication from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. After teaching communication and coaching debate for two years at Clarion State University in Pennsylvania, I returned to UMass Amherst for my Ph.D. in Communication Studies. Rather than pursue a teaching career, I formed a communications consulting firm with another graduate student (William Erklauer). One of our clients was a large insurance company, which, like other insurers in the early 1980s, was facing financial problems created by high interest rates. I became fascinated with finance, which led me to return to UMass Amherst to pursue an M.B.A., intending to switch careers from communication to finance. As I was finishing my degree and interviewing for jobs, my professional life took a quick turn. I was offered a short-term position as Associate Dean of the College of Management at the University of Massachusetts Boston. My initial six-month appointment turned into eleven years, during which I received tenure, directed the M.B.A. program, and chaired the Marketing and Communications Department. I then went to Emerson College in Boston as the Dean of Graduate Studies and later finished out my career as Professor of Communications at Simmons University, also in Boston. During my years at Simmons, I directed the Master’s in Communications Management and taught summer classes at The American University of Rome for ten years.
Early in my career, my research focused on television soap operas and the use of Black English Vernacular in television shows with Black characters. When my teaching shifted to organizational communication at UMass Boston, my research and consulting work shifted to race and gender issues in organizations. In 1986, Fern and I were awarded a grant to study gender and race in the New England division of the Environmental Protection Agency and, in 1990, I received a grant to do anti-racism work with the Committee for Boston Public Housing. For that work, I partnered with Donna Bivens, a local Black activist, who taught me how to listen to marginalized voices. In addition to publishing academic articles and book chapters, I wrote Building Successful Multicultural Organizations: Challenges and Opportunities (Quorum, 1995).
In 2003, I volunteered to facilitate cross-race community dialogues for a new project in Boston, initially called the Boston City-Wide Dialogues on Race and Ethnicity and, after being absorbed by YW Boston, the YW Boston Dialogues on Race and Ethnicity. I continued as a facilitator with the YW Dialogues until 2018. In 2010, I responded to a call from Donna Bivens and volunteered to work with the Union of Minority Neighborhoods on the Boston Busing Desegregation Project (BDDP), which created an oral history of the court-ordered desegregation of the Boston public schools from 1974-1988. The project sought to understand the long-term effects of busing on the Boston public schools and the city more generally by adding the voices of people of color to the existing narrative. I worked with BDDP until I retired in 2014.
Prior to retiring, Fern and I wrote The Interracial Adoption Option: Creating a Family Across Race (Jessica Kingsley, 2013) based on our experience raising our two African American sons. Our new book, Let’s Talk Race: A Guide for White People (New Society Publishers), addresses the need for white people to talk deeply and honestly about race.
I volunteer with my local food pantry and also serve on and have chaired the board of the UMass Amherst Hillel, an international Jewish youth organization.
Biography of Fern L. Johnson
I am a native of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota—a post-World War II suburb three blocks from the Minneapolis “city limits” and abutting the Mississippi River. The only school in my community was for grades 1-6. For 7th through 9th grade, we were bussed to a school in north Minneapolis. Brooklyn Center opened its high school the fall that I started 10th grade, and I graduated with a class of about 100 students. I attended college at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, where I received my B.A. in Speech, Communication and Theatre Arts, with a minor in English. I commuted from home for a couple years until I earned enough money to share a small rental house near campus with two other women. After graduation I attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois for my M.A. degree in Communication Studies, with my thesis focused on an underground newspaper, Chicago Kaleidoscope. I then taught for two years at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota (everything from Public Speaking to the Rhetoric of Black Power) before returning to the University of Minnesota for a Ph.D. in Speech Communication, specializing in the social construction of language and communication and development of communication skills in children.
After receiving my Ph.D., I moved to Massachusetts as a faculty member in the Communication department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I later held the positions of Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and then Deputy Provost. I left UMass to take the position of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. I continued at Clark as full-time professor of English and Director of the Interdisciplinary Communication and Culture Program.
Throughout my teaching and research career, I’ve specialized in cultural and language diversity in the U.S. and how language both reveals and shapes our beliefs, values, and attitudes. My work has focused on issues related to race, gender, and language policies in multilingual societies. I am the author of Speaking Culturally: Language Diversity in the United States (Sage) and Imaging in Advertising: Verbal and Visual Codes of Commerce (Routledge) plus numerous articles and book chapters. Marlene and I co-authored The Interracial Adoption Option: Creating a Family Across Race (Jessica Kingsley), which grew out of our experience as white parents of adopted African American children. Our new book, Let’s Talk Race: A Guide for White People (New Society Publishers) addresses the need for white people to talk deeply and honestly about race.
In addition to university teaching, I have conducted seminars and workshops on issues related to race; gender equity; and interracial adoption. I have also presented talks and research papers at many conferences in the U.S. and Europe.
I am the recipient of two major awards from the National Communication Association: The Robert J. Kibler Memorial Award for dedication to excellence, vision, and diversity, and the Women’s Caucus Francine Merritt Award for outstanding contributions to the lives of women in the Association and the communication discipline.
My volunteer activities focus on strategies and efforts to address food insecurity. I volunteer at the local food pantry and am a member of the Innovative Advancement Council for the Greater Boston Food Bank. When I need a break from words-words-words, I enjoy working on stained glass projects in my home workshop.
Marlene G. Fine:
Selected Publications
Books
Johnson, F.L., & Fine, M.G. (2021). Let’s talk race: A guide for white people. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers.
Fine, M.G., & Johnson, F.L. (2013). The interracial adoption option: Creating a family across race. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishing.
Fine, M.G. (1995). Cultural diversity in the workplace: Organizational challenges and opportunities. Westport, CT: Quorum Books.
Articles and Book Chapters
Johnson, F.L., & Fine, M.G. (2016). The role of the press in framing the bilingual education debate: Ten years after sheltered immersion in Massachusetts. The New England Journal of Public Policy, 28 (2), Article 5.
Available at http://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol28/iss2/5.
Fine, M. & Johnson, F. (2015). Creating a family across race and gender borders. In A. González & Y. Chen (Eds.), Our voices: Essays in culture, ethnicity, and communication (6th ed.). Oxford. [This essay also appeared in earlier editions.]
Fine, M.G. (2009). Women leaders’ discursive constructions of leadership. Women’s Studies in Communication, 32, 180-202. (nominated for 2009 Organization for Research on Women and Communication Feminist Scholarship Award)
Fine, M.G. (2007). Women, collaboration, and social change: An ethics-based model of leadership. In J.L. Chin, B.L. Lott, J.K. Rice, & J. Sanchez-Hucles (Eds.), Women and leadership: Visions and diverse voices (pp. 177-191). Boston, MA: Blackwell.
Fine, M.G., & Buzzanell, P.M. (2000). Walking the high wire: Leadership theorizing, daily acts, and tensions. In P.M. Buzzanell (Ed.), Rethinking organizational and managerial communication from feminist perspectives (pp. 128-156). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Fine, M.G. (1996). Multicultural literacy: Communicating in culturally diverse organizations. In D. Allen, R.R. Rush, & S.J. Kaufman (Eds.), Women transforming communications (pp. 313-321). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Anderson, C., Fine, M.G., & Johnson, F.L. (1983). Black talk on television: A constructivist approach to viewers’ perceptions of BEV in ROOTS II. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 4 (2-3), 181-195.
Fine, M.G., & Anderson, C. (1980). Dialectical features in the language of black characters on television situation comedies. Phylon, 41 (4), 396-409.
Fine, M.G., Anderson, C., & Eckles, G. (1979). Black English on Black situation comedies. Journal of Communication, 29 (3), 21-29.
Popular Media Articles
Fine, M.G., & Johnson, F.L. (2014, Dec. 18). No real conversation about race. Huffington Post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marlene-g-fine/no-real-conversation-abou_b_6349660.html
Fine, M.G., & Johnson, F.L. (2014, Feb. 25). It takes love—and work—to create an interracial adoptive family. AmericaAdopts.com.
http://www.americaadopts.com/it-takes-love-and-work-to-create-an-interracial-adoptive-family/
Fine, M.G., & Johnson, F.L. (2013, Dec. 30). The trifecta of race in America. Huffington Post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marlene-g-fine/the-trifecta-of-race-in-america_b_4519590.html
Fine, M.G., & Johnson, F.L. (2013, Dec. 10). When white parents have “The Talk” with black sons. Huffington Post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marlene-g-fine/when-white-parents-have-the-talk-with-black-sons_b_4386310.html
Fine, M.G., & Johnson, F.L. (2013, Dec.). Two parents, two children and a dog: The typical American family. Bay State Parent Magazine.
http://www.baystateparent.com
On-Air Interviews
September 1, 2015: “What Does It Mean to Be Black and Why Adoptive Parents Should Care?” Creating a Family radio show.
http://www.creatingafamily.org/adoption-category/mean-black-adoptive-parents-cares/
October 21, 2013: “The Interracial Adoption Option”: An interview with Dr. Marlene Fine, Simmons Voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjaID2Zi4TM
October 1, 2013: WBUR-FM, Radio Boston, Interracial adoption and creating an interracial family.
https://www.wbur.org/radioboston/2013/10/01/interracial-adoption
Fern L. Johnson:
Selected Publications
Books
Johnson, F. L. & Fine, M. G. (2021). Let’s talk race: A guide for white people. New Society Publishers.
Fine, M. G. and Johnson, F. L. (2013). The Interracial adoption option: Creating a family across race. Jessica Kingsley.
Johnson, F. L. (2008). Imaging in advertising: Verbal and visual codes of commerce. Routledge.
Johnson, F. L. (2000). Speaking culturally: Language diversity in the United States. Sage.
Articles and Book Chapters
Johnson, F.L., & Fine, M.G. (2016). The role of the press in framing the bilingual education debate: Ten years after sheltered immersion in Massachusetts. The New England Journal of Public Policy, 28 (2), Article 5.
Available at http://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol28/iss2/5.
Fine, M. & Johnson, F. (2015). Creating a family across race and gender borders. In A. González & Y. Chen (Eds.), Our voices: Essays in culture, ethnicity, and communication (6th ed.). Oxford. [This essay also appeared in earlier editions.]
Johnson, F. L., Mickelson, S., Davila, M. L. (2013). Transracial foster care and adoption: Issues and realities. New England Journal of Public Policy, 25 (1), Article 5 (15 pp).
Johnson, F. L. (2006). Transgressing gender in discourses across cultures. In B. J. Dow & J. T. Wood (Eds.), Handbook of gender and communication (pp. 415-431). Sage.
Johnson, F. L. (2004). The context of race in reading narratives on daytime talk shows. In M. Bamberg & M. Andrews (Eds.), Considering counter-narratives: Narrating, resisting, making sense (256-263). John Benjamins.
Johnson, F. L. (2003). Cultural dimensions of discourse. In L. A. Samovar & R. E. Porter (Eds.), Intercultural communication: A reader (8th ed., 184-197). Belmont.
Johnson, F. L. (2002). Gendered voices in children’s television advertising. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 19, 461-480.
Johnson, F. L. (2002). Unacknowledged African origins of U.S. English usage: “origin unknown” and other peculiar etymologies. Howard Journal of Communications, 13, 207-222.
Popular Media Articles
October 7, 2020: Op-Ed, “Presidential Debates Must Demonstrate Civility and Substance,” Worcester Telegram and Gazette.
https://www.telegram.com/news/20201007/opinion-presidential-debates-must-demonstrate-civility-and-substance
Featured in Kali Coleman. (2020, September 8). The one word older people should never say. Best Life.
https://bestlifeonline.com/older-people-say-rad/
Featured in Lindsay Mack. (2020, June 30). 9 resources for non-black parents of black children, recommended by experts & families,” Romper Media.
https://www.romper.com/p/9-resources-for-non-black-parents-of-black-children-recommended-by-experts-families-22979648
Featured in Bayless, K. (2014, April 22). Helping your adopted child maintain a cultural connection. Adoption.com.
https://www.parents.com/parenting/adoption/helping-your-adopted-child-maintain-a-cultural-connection/
Fine, M. G. & Johnson, F.L (2014, December 18). No real conversation about race. Huffington Post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marlene-g-fine/no-real-conversation-abou_b_6349660.html
Fine, M.G. & Johnson, F. L. (2014, February 25). It takes love—and work—to create an interracial adoptive family. America Adopts.
http://www.americaadopts.com/it-takes-love-and-work-to-create-an-interracial-adoptive-family/
Fine, M. G. and Johnson, F. L (2013, December 30). The trifecta of race in America. Huffington Post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marlene-g-fine/the-trifecta-of-race-in-america_b_4519590.html
Fine, M.G. & Johnson, F. L (2013, December 10). When white parents have “The Talk” with Black Sons. Huffington Post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marlene-g-fine/when-white-parents-have-the-talk-with-black-sons_b_4386310.html
Fine, M.G., & Johnson, F.L. (2013, Dec.). Two parents, two children and a dog: The typical American family. Bay State Parent Magazine.
http://www.baystateparent.com
On-Air Interviews
October 5, 2020: K-Zone–The Lunch Box with Sherman Whitman, Analysis of First Presidential Debate 2020.
https://soundcloud.com/kzoneradio/10-5-20-sherman-lunchbox
June 4, 2019: Georgia Public Broadcasting, “On Second Thought,” Emotional language in the abortion debate.
https://www.gpbnews.org/post/tugging-your-heartstrings-how-emotional-rhetoric-shapes-legislation
October 1, 2013: WBUR-FM, Radio Boston, Interracial adoption and creating an interracial family.
https://www.wbur.org/radioboston/2013/10/01/interracial-adoption