1 . ▁She ▁earned ▁a ▁certificate ▁in ▁social ▁case work ▁from ▁Bry n ▁M aw r ▁College , ▁and ▁a ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁soci ology ▁from ▁Rad cl iffe ▁College ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 . ▁ ▁Career ▁▁ ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁Rad cl iffe , ▁C rom well ▁taught ▁soci ology ▁at ▁Hunter ▁College , ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁African - American ▁instruct or . ▁She ▁again ▁broke ▁the ▁color ▁line ▁when ▁she ▁taught ▁at ▁Smith ▁College ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 0 s . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁she ▁joined ▁the ▁fac ulty ▁at ▁Boston ▁University , ▁where ▁she ▁taught ▁soci ology ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 5 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁C rom well ▁co - f ounded ▁the ▁university ' s ▁African ▁Studies ▁Center . ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁she ▁directed ▁the ▁African - American ▁Studies ▁program . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁C rom well ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Gh ana ▁to ▁conven e ▁the ▁first ▁conference ▁of ▁West ▁African ▁social ▁workers . ▁She ▁also ▁served ▁on ▁a ▁committee ▁commission ed ▁by ▁the ▁American ▁Method ist ▁Church ▁to ▁evaluate ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁higher ▁education ▁in ▁the ▁Belg ian ▁Congo ▁( now ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁of ▁the ▁Congo ). ▁She ▁was ▁appointed ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁as ▁Library ▁Commission er ▁for ▁the ▁Commonwealth ▁of ▁Massachusetts , ▁the ▁first ▁African ▁American ▁in ▁this ▁position .