Alfred Tatum

Alfred W. Tatum, Ph.D., is a professor in the School of Education at Metropolitan State University of Denver. His expertise includes literacy development, adolescent education, African American education, disciplinary reading and writing, and curriculum design. He is a nationally recognized scholar and one of the country’s leading authorities on advancing the literacy development of African American boys. 

With over two decades of experience in higher education and literacy research, Tatum has authored four books, four major reading and writing programs, and nearly 80 academic publications. He authored the award-winning book, “Teaching Reading to Black Adolescent Males: Closing the Achievement Gap.” His other books include “Reading for Their Life: (Re) building the Textual Lineages of African American Males,” “Fearless Voices: Engaging a New Generation of African American Adolescent Male Writers,” and “Teaching Black Boys in the Elementary Grades: Advanced Disciplinary Reading and Writing to Secure Their Futures.” 

Prior to joining MSU Denver, Tatum served as the dean of the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 2013-2020 and directed the UIC Reading Clinic from 2007-2020. He also led two Post-Release Education and Preparation projects for young men on intensive probation with Cook County after convincing the juvenile court judges to assign the young males to the UIC Reading Clinic instead of jail. 

Tatum assisted establishment and serves as the Executive Director of the Literary Research Center and Clinic (LRCC) at MSU Denver, a statewide resource for literacy support, screenings, and research. Tatum received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, Chicago.