Christian was born December 12, 1943 in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands and later moved at 15 years of age to Milwaukee Wisconsin to attend Marquette University where she graduated cum laude. She later enrolled at Columbia University. She then went on to become a lecturer at City College of the New York University of New York. There she worked in a program to promote higher education to minority and underprivileged scholars known as (SEEK) search for education, elevation, knowledge. Once she earned her PhD she was promoted to assistant professor where she taught English. The following year she became an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1972 she began work in creating the African-American studies department at the University. She is a trailblazer and assisted with the creation of programs concentrating on African American studies. She passed away on June 25, 2000.