Darlene Clark Hine was born in Morley, Missouri on February 7, 1947. She received a BA from Roosevelt University in 1968 and a MA and PhD from Kent State University in 1970 and 1975, respectively. She is considered a leading historian of the African American experience who helped found the field of black women's history. She has taught at South Carolina State College, Purdue University, and Michigan State University. She has written numerous books including Black Victory: The Rise and Fall of the White Primary in Texas; When the Truth Is Told: Black Women's Community and Culture in Indiana, 1875-1950; Black Women in White: Racial Conflict and Cooperation in the Nursing Profession,… 1890-1950; and Speak Truth to Power: The Black Professional Class in United States History.