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Lessie B. Branch

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Lessie B. Branch
Born
Hempstead, New York, U.S.
EducationFordham University (BA), The New School (MA, MPhil, PhD)
Known forRacial policy scholar, author, and advocate
Notable workOptimism at All Costs: Black Attitudes, Activism, and Advancement in Obama's America

Lessie B. Branch is an American scholar specializing in public and urban policy, with a focus on equity and social justice. She is a U.S. Navy veteran and currently serves as the Special Assistant for Community Engagement at the New York State Department of Veterans' Services.[1][2] Previously, Branch held the position of Associate Dean and Associate Professor in the School of Business at Metropolitan College of New York. In 2019, she became the first Woman of color elected as the Region 1 Chair for the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).[3][4][5]

Education

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Lessie Branch earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Fordham University in 1990. She completed her Master of Arts in politics at The New School for Social Research in 2017, followed by an MPhil and PhD in public and urban policy from the School of Public Engagement at the New School in 2011 and 2015.[6] Her doctoral dissertation, titled "Paradoxical Ebullience: Discordance Between Changing Black Racial Attitudes and Stagnation of Black Economic Progress," was later revised and published as her first book, Optimism At All Costs: Black Attitudes, Activism, and Advancement in Obama's America (2018).[7][8][9]

Career

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Lessie Branch served as a faculty member at Monroe College from 2004 to 2018. She held the position of associate dean and associate professor in the School for Business at Metropolitan College of New York from 2018 to 2021. Additionally, she was the lead adjunct professor in the executive leadership doctoral program at Saint John Fisher University from 2020 to 2024. Branch was elected chair of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs for the Northeast from 2019 to 2021.[10][11] Branch is the author of Optimism at All Costs: Black Attitudes, Activism, and Advancement in Obama's America and a contributing author to Reimagining Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Survival Beyond 2020.[12][13][14] Her writings have been published in various outlets, including Blavity, Diverse Education, Gotham Gazette, The Bronx Times, and Scholars Strategy Network.[15][16] In her 2016 TEDxTalk, she addresses socio-economic inequality and critiques post-racial neoliberal narratives that suggest race is no longer connected to socioeconomic outcome and life chances.[17]

Lessie Branch examines the contrast between the economic realities faced by Black Americans and the optimism many express for the future, using survey data and the rhetoric of prominent Black figures, including President Obama. She argues that this disparity has led to a resistance to social activism. Branch views the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement as a significant development in this context. Her work aims to contribute to ongoing discussions about race and progress in various settings, including educational institutions, media, and legislative bodies.[18][19]

References

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  1. ↑ "Agency Leadership Team". New York State Department of Veterans' Services. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  2. ↑ "Governor Hochul Launches New Overdose Prevention Task Force | Governor Kathy Hochul". www.governor.ny.gov. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  3. ↑ "From the Ranks to the Rhetoric: Dr. Lessie Branch on Justice, service and Policy". military.newschool.edu. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  4. ↑ G, Tina (2020-08-13). "MCNY To Host ACBSP Northeastern Region Virtual Conference October 29–30, 2020". MCNY. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  5. ↑ "Who Taught You to Hate Yourself? The Paradox of White America's Self-Sabotage". The EDU Ledger. 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  6. ↑ "Lessie Branch, Ph.D. – SheSource Expert – Women's Media Center". womensmediacenter.com. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  7. ↑ "Lessie Branch, PhD Public and Urban Policy, Talks Perceptions and Realities of Black Socioeconomic Progress in TED talk". The New School News. 2016-04-14. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  8. ↑ "Optimism at All Costs". University of Massachusetts Press. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  9. ↑ Branch, Lessie B. (2018). Optimism at All Costs: Black Attitudes, Activism, and Advancement in Obama's America. University of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 978-1-62534-326-0.
  10. ↑ "Lessie Branch, Ph.D., Metropolitan college of New York". womenalsoknowstuff.com.
  11. ↑ G, Tina (2019-10-24). "Associate Dean Dr. Lessie Branch featured on BRONX TALK". MCNY. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  12. ↑ "Event Information". Event Information. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  13. ↑ "Who Taught You to Hate Yourself? The Paradox of White America's Self-Sabotage". The EDU Ledger. 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  14. ↑ Branch, Lessie. "The United States of America is Becoming a Failed State". Gotham Gazette. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  15. ↑ "Dr. Lessie Branch – Blavity News". Blavity News & Entertainment. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  16. ↑ Kirker, Katie. "U.S. Census Bureau Announces Hundreds of 'Community Partners' in New York". Gotham Gazette. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  17. ↑ "Lessie Branch | Scholars Strategy Network". scholars.org. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  18. ↑ Reexamining the “Obama Effect”: How Barack Obama’s Rhetoric Spread Optimistic Colorblindness in an Age of Inequality Journal of Contemporary Rhetoric, Vol. 6, No.3/4, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Optimism at All Costs: Black Attitudes, Activism, and Advancement in Obama's America". www.bibliovault.org. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
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