She holds a Ph.D in English and MA in Afro American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; a BA in Africology and English from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Lathan's research includes the literate and rhetorical history of women of African descent, the development of literacy, and the delivery systems for the teaching of writing; community based critical intellectualism of African American Women, identity politics and social historical activism as well as critical race theory in rhetoric and composition. Lathan teaches courses ranging from social historical perspectives on rhetoric and composition to more specialized African American Literacies, rhetoric, composition research methodologies and theories, literate practices within African American social movements, including Afrafeminist and literacy history.