I can't imagine how it could be possible for me to complete my high school studies four years ago without your intervention. In a nutshell, Red Rubber Ball gifted me with the rare opportunity to better my future. I won't take that for granted but rather, I am deeply grateful. - Cheboi Kipsang Marthias, sponsored student When Neil Kirby was encouraged to chase his 'red rubber ball', little did he realise that he'd chase it halfway across the world to Kenya. An offer to raise funds to feed orphan children in western Kenya would change his life as well as theirs. By sharing his story with friends and family, colleagues and contacts, many others offered to lend their support. It would see hundreds of children get the chance of a secondary school education, go on to university and find work; make friends and climb mountains; and become part of a family again. Setting out without a plan, it would see Neil achieve more than he could ever have imagined. Lessons from the Slums is his story and shows that "anything is possible...if you put your mind to it".

Social workers have long fought to bring diversity, inclusiveness, and economic justice to the communities in which they serve, but for decades the internal practices of the profession have contradicted its public persona, perpetuating myths and misconceptions about women of color and their ability to teach and lead.

In these essays African American, Asian American, Latina, Pacific Islander, and Native American women share their experiences working within the field of social work, describing their rise to leadership and their efforts to maintain authority. Emphasizing themes of social change and justice, these narratives make visible the unique challenges faced by leaders and administrators of color, an issue that continues to affect women within the field today.

Trading on decades of experience, Halaevalu F. O. Vakalahi and Wilma Peebles-Wilkins choose essays that specifically examine concerns and techniques facilitating the development of women of color as leaders. Their lessons inform future research, policy, and practice and are sure to enhance scholarship on diversity within the profession. There is even a chapter written by a university vice president, who focuses entirely on working within the academy. Altogether, these contributors prove that culturally based paradigms of leadership, historically devalued and suppressed, are crucial to women on the rise.