Terri is the author of the books Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging Racial Divides, The Roots of Racism: The Politics of White Supremacy in the US and Europe,  and the textbook Immigration in the 21st Century. She has authored books, journal articles and reviews on topics incuding the radical right, immigratino politics, the politics of anti-discrimination policy and race in Europe and gender issues. She is a regular contributor to outlets like Inside Higher Ed, the Chronicle of Higher Education and many other magazines and newspapers.

Terri is a highly regarded speaker, more recently on the topic of leadership and inclusion based on her book Radical Empathy. Throughout her career she has been a keynote speaker on a variety of topics from her research on immigration and the radical right to leadership and diversity in higher education. Since 2020 she has done over 70 keynotes, workshops, interviews and podcasts on her books. As part of her speaking engagements, she is often asked to provide support for leaders in the education, nonprofit and corporate sectors as they work to become more diverse and inclusive.

Terri is a highly sought after consultant and has worked on projects from diversity and inclusion in hiring, particularly in her field of political science, to leadership and strategic planning in higher education and the future of higher ed. She has worked with a variety of organizations, including the University of California Office of the President, Arizona State University, James Madison University, The city of Menlo Park Council and Police Department, Gonzaga Preparatory School and many others. She is also available for one-on-one coaching and consulting with administrators and leadership teams.

Terri Givens Book Cover Radical

Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging Racial Divides

Structural racism has impacted the lives of African Americans in the United States since before the country’s founding. Although the country has made some progress towards a more equal society, political developments in the 21st century have shown that deep divides remain. The persistence of inequality is an indicator of the stubborn resilience of the institutions that maintain white supremacy. To bridge our divides, renowned political scientist Terri Givens calls for ‘radical empathy’ – moving beyond an understanding of others’ lives and pain to understand the origins of our biases, including internalized oppression. Deftly weaving together her own experiences with the political, she offers practical steps to call out racism and bring about radical social change.

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Danielle Harlan

Terri Givens’ work in the leadership development and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) space is unparalleled and world-class. There are very few people—even veteran facilitators and subject matter experts—whom I trust without question to produce top notch results, and she is one of them. Seamlessly interweaving her research, teaching, and real-world expertise, Dr. Givens contributes creativity and original ideas, constructive feedback that pushes the work forward, and incredible energy and execution skills—all with authenticity, deep empathy, and a brilliant sense of humor. It’s an honor and privilege to call her a colleague—and I can’t wait for our next collaboration!

Even Captain Pike believes in Radical Empathy!