Black Women’s Lives as an Exemplar of Productive Aging with Kendra Jason
TOPIC: Black Women’s Lives as an Exemplar of Productive Aging
SPEAKER: Kendra Jason, Professor, UNC-Charlotte, Work 4 Change
This presentation explores how dominant narratives portraying the lives of older Black women as homogeneous, obstruct the complexity, agency and innovation that characterize their myriad of experiences. The talk reframes productive aging by centering Black women’s epistemologies, illuminating how their everyday practices expand and reimagine what it can mean to age productively in a structurally unequal society.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Kendra Jason is a Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Department of Public Health and Health Administration at UNC Charlotte. Her specializations include organizational behavior and management, inequality, and work. She has a particular interest in older workers and how their intersectional experiences influence their workability, health, and wellbeing. Her work has been featured at The National Academy of Sciences and in media outlets, including Forbes.com. She is a sought-out speaker on workplace culture and belonging. She is the Founder of Work 4 Change, a workplace equity consultancy. Dr. Jason is a 2026 TEDxUNCCharlotte Speaker and editor of Race and Social Justice: Building and Inclusive College through Awareness, Advocacy, and Action (2023).
