One of the toughest things about growing old is seeing family, friends, colleagues, and people you admire end their life journeys. It is a fate that awaits us all, but we are never prepared for it when we learn of the passing of someone we cherish. It is with sadness and gratitude that I recognize the lives of three very special people who impacted my life.
Dr. Sheila Kamerman departed this life on June 19, 2024, at the age of 96. She was the first of the three who impacted my life. The Compton Foundation Centennial Professor of Social Work for the Prevention of Children and Youth Problems, she served on the faculty of the Columbia University School of Social Work—where she received her Ph.D.—from 1979 until her retirement. She was a prodigious child welfare scholar whose research focused on early childhood well-being in the United States and countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). She authored, co-authored, or co-edited more than 30 books and nearly 200 articles and book chapters. She was inducted into the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW) in 2010.
Dr. Kamerman was my professor during my doctoral studies at Columbia University School of Social Work. She taught me much of what I know about the welfare state and providing social services in the United States. I arrived with my MSW from Clark Atlanta University School of Social Work and was uncertain if I was ready for the rigors of an Ivy League doctoral program. My feelings of the imposter syndrome evaporated from her response to my work. She was critical and candid, pointing out my strengths while challenging me to think more deeply. She was open to discussion and helped me become a better critical thinker.
After graduation, I joined the faculty at Howard University School of Social Work, where I met Professor James E. Craigen, Sr., who departed this life on July 17, 2024. He was 85 years old. He was chair of the Macro Sequence. He became a mentor and guide who helped me navigate the unfamiliar terrain of academia. I was fascinated and awed by his experiences in community organization and his groundbreaking work at the University of Chicago. He began his academic career at the school as a field instructor and was appointed an Assistant Professor six months later. He served as President of the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) from 1969 to 1971.
He was especially proud of being a founding member of the National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW), attending the first conference in 1968 and every subsequent conference except one. Recognized as a Pioneer and Elder, Prof. Craigen counseled hundreds of social work students and social workers during his lifetime. I was one of those who benefited from his wisdom and long hours of conversation in his office. I attended NABSW conferences at his behest, where he introduced me to many exemplary colleagues. He was appointed to the Baltimore City Commission on Social Services in 1969 and served as chair of the Maryland Association of Social Service Boards.
He was more than a colleague; he was a friend, sharing his season tickets to Redskins and Ravens football games. He graduated from Atlanta University School of Social Work, which had become Clark Atlanta University School of Social by the time I graduated several decades later. He shared many fascinating stories about working with social work icon and dean Whitney M. Young, Jr. We traveled to South Africa together, and he was a founding board member of the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP). I will miss him.
Prof. Craigen introduced me to Baba Leonard Dunston at an NABSW conference. Dunston departed this life on July 21, 2024, just shy of his 84th birthday. I was thrilled to meet a black social worker practicing political social work before I knew such a thing existed. I was proud to be in the company of someone with influence and respect at the highest level of New York state government. As Commissioner of the New York State Division for Youth (now the Office of Children and Family Services), he was the highest-ranking black official in the administration of Gov. Mario Cuomo. He served as President of NABSW from 1994 to 1998.
He was a man of dignity and grace whose presence was felt immediately when he entered a room. Yet, he was always approachable and willing to share his knowledge and wisdom with me, which proved invaluable as a social worker in the political and legislative arenas. He inspired many, and his legacy will live on through the work of many of whom he influenced.