Experts
Melissa Harris-Lacewell
Professor, Princeton University
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"On any given day I struggle a lot." Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Inspiration & Wisdom
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"I really, really like Black people." Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Inspiration & Wisdom
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Religion and the Black Community
God finds his way into everything that Black folks do, Harris-Lacewell says. Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Belief
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What needs to change in the media’s portrayal of race
"I do think that our press for the most part covers race in a very flat and uninteresting way." Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Media & Internet
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Lacewell talks about the study of race and genetics and the threat of biology-based racism. Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Identity
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What needs to change in academia?
Race as discussed in academia should not be treated as just a social construct. Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Politics & Policy
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How is the Black American experience changing?
"There's a multiplicity of experiences." Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Politics & Policy
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What is the legacy of slavery in America?
"The real serious continuing legacy of slavery in this country is the electoral college in the U.S. Senate." Read More
February 21, 2008 | In History
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What needs to change in the American criminal justice system?
"I just think that the criminal line is drawn way too far." Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Truth & Justice
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What is the White community’s biggest misconception of the Black community
Who benefits more from the success of a hip-hop artist? Black women, or white men? Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Politics & Policy
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What institutions perpetuate differences in opportunity?
It starts with the Declaration of Independence, Harris-Lacewell says. Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Identity
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It matters for every life metric, says Harris-Lacewell. Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Identity
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"I teach at a little school in New Jersey." Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Politics & Policy
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Is the American political system broken?
Harris-Lacewell is worried about an emerging dynastic system Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Politics & Policy
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What is the state of democracy in the United States?
"On the question of stability, democracy is in really good shape." Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Politics & Policy
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What inspired you to pursue political science?
Lacewell was inspired by a teacher who taught a course called "Leadership in a Democratic Society." Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Inspiration & Wisdom
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When did you become conscious of race?
Lacewell's father is an advocate in the Black community, and her mother was a White Mormon. Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Identity
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A Southern girl from a family of academics. Read More
February 21, 2008 | In Identity
Melissa Harris-Lacewell is Associate Professor of Politics and African American Studies at Princeton University. She is the author of the award-winning book, Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought, (Princeton 2004). And she is currently at work on a new book: Sister Citizen: A Text For Colored Girls Who've Considered Politics When Being Strong Wasn't Enough. Her academic research is inspired by a desire to investigate the challenges facing contemporary black Americans and to better understand the multiple, creative ways that African Americans respond to these challenges.Her academic research has been published in scholarly journals and edited volumes and her interests include the study of African American political thought, black religious ideas and practice, and social and clinical psychology. Professor Harris-Lacewell's creative and dynamic teaching is also motivated by the practical political and racial issues of our time. For example, her course entitled Disaster, Race and American Politics explored the multiple political meanings of Hurricane Katrina. Professor Harris-Lacewell has taught students from grade school to graduate school and has been recognized for her commitment to the classroom as a site of democratic deliberation on race.
