I’m Not Habesha, I’m Oromo: Immigration, Ethnic Identity, and the Transnationality of BlacknessGuluma, Beka
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231169250
Sociological research on immigration and Blackness has often focused on how immigrants from majority-Black sending countries negotiate between their racial and ethno-national identities. But as the Black immigrant population continues to grow, so too does the salience of subnational ethnic diversity. This begs the question: how do immigrants negotiate between their various racial and ethnic identity options as they integrate into American society? To tackle this question, I draw on 30 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with first- and second-generation Oromo immigrants to see how they situate their ethnic and racial identities in the context of integration into American society and continued homeland ethnic conflict. Two themes emerge in how my respondents articulate their ethnic and racial identities. First, respondents draw a sharp distinction between Oromo and Ethiopian as both separate national and ethnic identities. Second, respondents embrace their Black identity in part by relying on narratives of Blackness rooted in a shared history of anti-Black oppression that draw on the language of linked fate. Together, these findings demonstrate how Black immigrants’ identity can inform and be informed by notions of Blackness in both the United States and homeland contexts, and the importance of attending to subnational ethnic diversity in studies of immigration.
Up the Hill: The Familial-institutional Reproduction of the Black Upper-middle ClassHeard, CiAuna
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231185512
This article explores the distinct social reproductive practices of the Black upper-middle class. In particular, this study focuses on the role of community organizations in socializing the collective habitus of a community at the intersection of Blackness and class privilege. I draw on interview data from members of one Black upper-middle class organization, Jack and Jill of America Inc., to identify how families and institutions collaborate to socialize children into a particular raced-classed habitus, passing on ideologies, discursive habits, and behavioral strategies aimed at producing citizens who are both culturally empathetic and socioeconomically mobile. I find that mothers rely on the blurred boundaries between family and social organizations to legitimate and reinforce the lessons taught at home. In particular, mothers explicitly socialize identity and affinity within a racial community while simultaneously socializing implicit, but powerful, behavioral habits related to social class.
Documenting Black Faculty Experiences in the “Stop Woke” EraTopalidis, Yiorgo; Austin, Sharon
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231201501
The Black Faculty Recruitment and Retention at the University of Florida Oral History Project documented the experiences of prejudice and discrimination by current and former UF faculty and staff members. A total of 46 respondents participated, 23 male and 23 female, between the Summer and Fall semester of 2021. While several salient themes emerged from these interviews, this paper focuses primarily on the respondents’ experiences of silencing, prejudice, discrimination at UF, and anti-racist White allyship. Such experiences ranged from respondents being overburdened with the mentorship of Black and Brown students to overt episodes of prejudice and discrimination that drove faculty members to resign from their positions. For example, some respondents noted the silencing of dissenting Black voices at faculty meetings by White colleagues. Extant scholarship has documented similar themes, and the present study employs them to contextualize its findings. This paper concludes by emphasizing respondents’ advice for administrators to help mitigate the negative impact of prejudice and discrimination on Black faculty at UF and avoid tokenistic diversity initiatives that constitute ineffective diversity regimes.
“Why Can’t We Have Some Kind of Unity?” Cultural Contention Amongst Puerto Rican and Black Residents in Southern SuburbiaDhuman, Stephanie A.
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231169249
This study examines Puerto Rican-Black intergroup relations in Poinciana, Florida, a new immigrant destination in the suburban south led by the country’s largest homeowners association. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with 47 residents, I interrogate interpersonal relationships, feelings of belonging, and how residents’ lack of sociopolitical agency contribute to perceptions of intergroup relations. Past research evidences both coalition and tensions between Puerto Rican and Black co-residents, including shared marginalization experiences leading to increased coalition, or economic competition leading to contention. As migration to new immigrant destinations continues to rise, this study suggests minoritized groups may hold discordant conceptualizations of their relationship, what I refer to as “cultural contention.” While Puerto Ricans describe a shared sense of marginalization and unity with their Black neighbors, Black residents express concerns over displacement. With the precarious status of the community, there are few opportunities for residents to coalesce, and further fragmentation is possible.
Beyond the Positivism/Non-Positivism Binary as a Step Toward Inclusive SociologyHeadley, Vernon; Jones, Annie; Carter, Shannon K.
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231170533
This article contributes to a movement to interrogate the history and foundation of sociology. The current hegemonic narrative credits a few European men for establishing sociology as a mechanism for using science to understand social conditions amid the rise of industrialization and modern capitalism. This hegemonic story defines positivism as a central concern in the foundation of the discipline, justifying its continued dominance in U.S. sociology and using binary logic to position non-positivist approaches as subordinate and unscientific. In this article, we explore the ways early Black sociologists integrated positivist and non-positivist approaches in their work to arrive at truth and discuss ways that transcending binary distinctions facilitated rich developments in their understanding of social relations and institutions. We draw on existing scholarship to argue that privileging binary logic helped justify these scholars’ marginalization in the sociological canon and conclude with recommendations to move the discipline beyond the positivism/non-positivism binary as an important mechanism for transformation. In so doing, we contribute to the growing body of scholarship aimed at correcting the history of sociology and reimagining the foundational works and epistemological approaches to foster liberation within the discipline.
Race over Religion: Christian Nationalism and Perceived Threats to National UnityPerry, Samuel L.; Whitehead, Andrew L.; Grubbs, Joshua B.
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231160530
Building on the insight that American religion is fundamentally “raced” and “complex,” we theorize American religion is so deeply racialized that seemingly “race-neutral” religious claims about national identity are ultimately more oriented toward racial rather than religious considerations. Drawing on recent, nationally representative data, we test how technically “race-neutral” measures of Christian nationalism interact with race to shape how Americans evaluate the national implications of religious and racial diversity. Though Christian nationalism predicts viewing both religious and racial diversity as national hindrances, its association with racial diversity is much stronger. This holds across racial groups, and particularly among Black and Asian Americans. In contrast, interactions show Black Americans diverge from whites in that they become more favorable toward religious diversity as Christian nationalism increases. Combining outcomes into four categories, Americans who score higher on Christian nationalism are more likely to become “Ecumenical Ethno-Pessimists” (viewing religious diversity as a strength, but racial diversity as a hindrance) than pure “Ethno-Nationalists” (viewing both religious and racial diversity as hindrances). This association is especially strong among Black and Asian Americans. Findings demonstrate even with seemingly “race-neutral” measures that would ostensibly target religious heterogeneity as the core national threat, it is racial diversity that threatens national unity.
The State of Black Sociology: A Critical Reflection of Joyce Ladner’s The Death of white SociologyMitchum, Shawntae; Joseph, Jalia
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231190629
On the fiftieth anniversary of Joyce Ladner’s The Death of white Sociology, we write this critical reflection to explore the discipline’s historical, often explicit oversight and investment in Whiteness. The historical roots of “mainstream”, white sociology are inundated with pathologization, dehumanization, and exclusion of Black people, the Black community, and Black scholarship. From graduate program training and conferencing to peer-review processes and the academic job market, Black sociologists are expected to center white hegemonic ideals of professionalism and academic rigor. We write this critical reflection exploring the edited volume’s implications for discussing anti-Blackness as well as the methodological and theoretical significance of Black sociology past and present. As Black sociologists and doctoral scholars, this reflection serves as a call to the discipline to grapple with texts such as The Death of white Sociology, the discomfort it may cause, and how the exclusion of such work directly harms the training and careers of Black graduate students.
How White Americans Experience Racial Gaze: Public Interactions and White Parents of Black Adopted ChildrenPerry, Samuel L.
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231182596
Within America’s racialized social system, White people can generally navigate life as “unmarked,” oblivious to race. But for White parents of Black adopted children, everyday public interactions provide occasion to directly and vicariously experience a form of “racial gaze,” specifically via scrutiny directed toward them as parents and the bodies of their Black children. Drawing on 46 in-depth interviews with White adoptive parents of Black children, and incorporating insights from whiteness theory and research, I analyze how White parents perceive and respond to racial scrutiny. Parents describe how their ability to raise Black children feels challenged through unsolicited advice about haircare, negative comments, and perceived disapproving looks from Black strangers. These interactions provoke parents’ insecurity and anxiety such that they become more aware of their own whiteness and thus less “colorblind” than they might have been otherwise, while also resenting Black strangers for implicitly challenging their parenting abilities or the appropriateness of their parenting Black children. Findings provide novel insight into ways White Americans respond to the subjective experience of racial gaze. Given expectations of universal white innocence, competence, and colorblindness, they react with increased anxiety, hyper-vigilance, and greater guardedness around Black Americans in public to the point of resentment.
Ethno-Racial Stratification in the Refinanced Mortgage MarketLoya, Jose
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231187309
The mortgage industry is a key component of ethno-racial stratification in wealth and homeownership. Previous research demonstrates that unequal treatment of minorities has created inequality in access and exclusion to low-cost mortgage loans in the housing market. While prior studies have documented the disadvantages Black and Latino home seekers face in obtaining a mortgage, these studies have not considered the obstacles that current homeowners face when seeking to refinance their mortgage. This study draws on annual data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) from 2018 to 2019 to assess ethno-racial disparities in refinanced mortgage outcomes by loan purpose. I demonstrate that loan rejections and high-cost loans are highest among Black homeowners seeking to refinance their home, especially when trying to make home improvements or cashing-out equity from their home. In general, Asians and Latinos perform in between Whites and Blacks across mortgage outcomes and loan purpose. These trends are particularly true when examining adverse loan outcomes for applicants seeking a cash-out refinance. Implications for ethno-racial stratification and the wealth gap are discussed.
“Racism Masked as Safety Concerns”: The Experiences of Residents of Color With Racialized Coveillance in a Predominantly White NeighborhoodLowe, Maria R.; Romero, Luis A.; Carrola, Madeline
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231191496
Prior studies have focused on ways that White residents in predominantly White neighborhoods monitor their community for suspicious people and how these practices are racialized. However, only limited attention has been given to how residents of color in such neighborhoods experience these surveillance efforts. In this article, we explore how mostly White neighbors conduct on-the-ground monitoring of people of color in their daily lives, a process that we call “racialized coveillance.” Using data from neighborhood digital platforms, neighborhood materials, and 24 interviews with residents of color of an affluent, predominantly White community, we find that residents’ racialized coveillance sometimes misidentifies residents of color as suspicious outsiders. These efforts take the form of posts uploaded to the neighborhood’s social media sites, calls to the police, and in-person encounters. Such practices occur regularly and affect residents of color to varying degrees with Black male residents bearing the brunt of such efforts. As a result, we argue that racialized coveillance creates hostile territories for some residents of color in predominantly White neighborhoods, which contributes to the reproduction of these settings as White spaces.
“American Tales of Heroes and Villains”: Donald Trump’s Framing of Latinos During COVID-19 TimesViladrich, Anahí
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231177639
Based on a qualitative analysis of Donald Trump’s speeches and public documents from 2020, this article examines the role of xenophobia in constructing oppositional divisions within Latino groups in the United States. Rather than pitting minority ethnic/racial groups against the White majority, xenophobia frames unauthorized populations against legal, albeit subordinated, ones. Five main Latino categories are identified in this study. First, the “illegal immigrant” is portrayed as the criminal border crosser that targets other Latinos—the latter embodied by the “Hispanic victim.” Next, is the “Hispanic border patrol” agent who safeguards the United States by actively detaining and expelling undocumented immigrants. Third, the “Hispanic supporter” is welcomed into the American Dream by ascribing to meritocratic values of hard work and family values. A final actor is represented by foreign allies (e.g., Mexico’s President) who crack down their own citizens to protect the United States border. Furthermore, this article discusses Trump’s xenophobic camouflage of race (and racism) by highlighting undocumented Latinos’ alleged immoral and criminal nature rather than their physical characteristics. Concomitant to this narrative is the conditional inclusion of a subset of Hispanics into the American dream. In the conclusions, the article compares the study findings with the results of the 2020 presidential election to shed light on the growth of Trump’s Latino base. This research piece ultimately provides a contribution to our understanding of the conceptual power of xenophobia in galvanizing divergent interests within racial and ethnic minorities, in this case Latinos in the United States.
Racial-ethnic Differences in Anticipatory Stress about COVID-19 Mortality: An Evaluation of Multiple MechanismsGrace, Matthew K.; García, Ashley M.
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231184837
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected the health of people of color in the United States. In this study, we use national survey data (n = 1,844) to examine racial-ethnic variation in people’s worries about COVID-19 mortality and the mechanisms that underlie these differences. Consistent with stress theory, we find that Black and Latinx respondents are more likely than Whites to worry about the possibility that they, a romantic partner, or a child will die from the virus. Black and Latinx respondents are also more likely to report prior COVID-19 infection, to know someone who has tested positive for the virus, to work in essential jobs, to live in more densely populated counties with higher infection rates, and to contend with more same-race COVID-19 infections at the national level. Across these different layers of social context, however, only prior COVID infection and knowing someone who has tested positive for the virus are linked to greater worry about COVID-related mortality. Mediation analyses indicate the greater prevalence of prior infection among Black and Latinx respondents explains little of the gap in anticipatory stress, whereas approximately one-fifth of the Black-White and Latinx-White discrepancy in worries about COVID-19 mortality are attributable to the greater social connectivity of Black and Latinx respondents to family and friends who have been affected by the virus. We outline the implications of these findings for future scholarship.
The Struggle for Authentic TeachingThakore, Bhoomi K.
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231201495
Higher education has inextricably become a part of political platforms, specifically in calls for limits on social sciences and humanities perspectives in the classroom. As instructors, we have become front-line soldiers in this fight, managing hostile students and their parents, while struggling to remain authentic to our academic selves. In this article, I reflect on my authentic teaching, the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida, and the Stop WOKE Act, and offer a contribution on how we might change the course.
Teaching Race after the Genome: An Approach to Challenging Biological Understandings of Race in the ClassroomRomero, Luis A.; Zarrugh, Amina
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231172746
As a billion-dollar industry with millions of consumers, DNA-based ancestry testing has become a highly sought out tool for people seeking knowledge of their ancestry and, recently, their family health history. As sociologists have emphasized, however, these DNA-based technologies have also risked reinvigorating dubious connections between biology and race. In this article, we outline a class assignment utilizing YouTube videos that feature consumers narrating the results of their DNA-based ancestry testing. The assignment invites students to interrogate the claims of consumers, who often seamlessly connect their ancestry results to particular racial and ethnic identities. As a result, students are poised to better understand how race and ethnicity are social constructions rather than individual biological traits.
Racialization as a Strategic Orientation: Arab Organizations and the Construction of Ethnic Identity in the Cold War EraUyan, Deniz
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231184836
Arab Americans are fertile ground for scholars interested in studying processes of racialization and race-making. The ambiguous, or “in-between,” racial status of this population has caused some obstacles for scholars attempting to theorize the source and persistence of discrimination against this group. This article attempts to address these paradoxes by examining the history of Arab ethnic and racial activism in the civil rights/Cold War period and uses this empirical case to argue for an historical interpretation of Arab racialization. Specifically, this article asks two questions: “What international and historical contexts shaped the development of Arab ethnic identity in the United States?” and “How do these historical mechanisms inform and amend current theories of Arab racialization?” To answer these, the article employs a “theoretical frontier” analytic architecture to analyze archival sources documenting Arab ethnic advocacy and organizing strategies during the critical civil rights/Cold War period. The article finds that prominent Arab organizations and their leaders navigated a hostile American public that levied both politically and ethnically motivated attacks against their advocacy, and argues that this historical context in turn shaped later Arab organizations’ approach to formal recognition as an ethnic and racial group. Ultimately, the article argues that racialization—in this case, the decision by Arab organizations beginning in the mid-1970s to pursue a project of Arab ethnic advocacy disarticulated from its political origins—was an historical development that requires reckoning with within the theoretical literature on Arab ethnic formation.
What We Talk about When We Talk about Ethnicity: Hispanic Self-classification and Appraisal in an Online College ForumHuang, Tiffany J.
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231187308
Research has frequently remarked on the conceptual overlap of racial versus ethnic categories at the macro-level, as well as on individual-level inconsistencies across multiple dimensions of race. Less research has focused on the interpersonal negotiation of racial self-classification and identity claims-making, or on the norms that govern racial appraisal. This study uses a case at the boundaries of the Hispanic category to ask: what norms of self-classification and social appraisal do interlocuters draw on in their interpretation of ethnic categories? I answer this question using a unique dataset of posts from a college admissions forum, in which prospective applicants ask, “Am I Hispanic?” Findings reveal that ancestry forms the most rigid boundary, though interlocuters debate whether ancestry is biological or cultural. Cultural identity is also necessary, though more loosely defined. Specific, noninstitutionalized traits, such as phenotype, language, and surname, are considered neither necessary nor sufficient. Findings highlight the enduring primacy of ancestry and the importance of social appraisal in the college application context.
Formal Social Control and Mental Health: Ethnic Variation among Black WomenTalbert, Ryan D.; Patterson, Evelyn J.
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231187294
The present study uses elements of the social stress and intersectionality theories to examine associations between forms of criminal justice contact and mental health among African American and Afro-Caribbean women. While mass incarceration disproportionately targets, detains, and affects Black populations, the experiences and consequences of criminal justice contact for Black women remain understudied. Utilizing the National Survey of American Life (n = 3,011), this study examined ethnic-stratified associations between criminal justice contact and three mental health indicators among Black women—psychological distress, self-rated mental health, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We assessed justice contact based on any contact (i.e., direct contact and/or family member incarceration), and then disaggregated contact into direct (i.e., personally experienced negative police interactions, arrests, and incarceration) and familial incarceration. Findings showed that any contact as well as direct forms of contact were associated with higher psychological distress for African American women and odds of PTSD for both groups. Furthermore, negative police interactions and family member incarceration were associated with psychological distress for African American women, while only familial incarceration worsened self-rated mental health for Afro-Caribbean women. This study yields important insights for research at the intersection of gender-ethnic status, spillover outcomes of formal social control, and mental health stratification.
The Informal Safety Net: Social Network Activation among Hispanic Immigrants during COVID-19Smith, Nicholas C.; Brooks, Caroline V.; Ekl, Emily A.; García, Melissa J.; Ambriz, Denise; Maupomé, Gerardo; Perry, Brea L.
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231162348
During times of crisis, individuals may activate members of their social networks to fulfill critical support functions. However, factors that may facilitate or inhibit successful network activation are not fully understood, particularly for structurally marginalized populations. This study examines predictors of network activation among recent and established Hispanic immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, using unique, longitudinal data from the VidaSana study and its supplemental survey, the COVID-19 Rapid Response study (N = 400), we ask: How are COVID-related stressors associated with goal-oriented network activation (e.g., health-focused activation) among Hispanic immigrants? How might structural and compositional characteristics of social networks facilitate or inhibit successful network activation during COVID-19? Results align with theories of network activation (i.e., functional specificity) that imply that individuals engage in selective and deliberate activation of networks. That is, we observe a congruency between COVID-related stressors and social network characteristics, and distinct types of network activation. Moreover, we find that respondents experiencing pandemic-induced economic difficulties engage in activation for financial assistance only if they are embedded in a higher-educated network. We discuss the implications of these findings and provide recommendations for future research.
The Paradox of Integration: Racial Composition of NFL Positions from 1960 to 2020Marquez-Velarde, Guadalupe; Grashow, Rachel; Glass, Christy; Blaschke, Anne M.; Gillette, Gary; Taylor, Herman A.; Whittington, Alicia J.
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231182597
As highly visible organizations, professional sports teams provide a context to examine the reproduction of racial hierarchies over time. This study analyzes racial segregation/integration in the NFL between 1960 and 2020. Using data from 20,357 players, we examine the racial composition of positions in the field and how these patterns influence career length. Our analysis reveals three distinct patterns of segregation/integration over time: cumulative hyper-segregation in high-risk positions, durable segregation in high-prestige positions, and integration in hybrid positions. We consider the implications of these findings for theory and research on racialized organizations as well as for the lives of players.
The Mechanisms of Ethnoracialization and Asian American Support for Race-conscious AdmissionsLee, Ji-won; Byrd, W. Carson
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231193399
Recent studies on political attitude formations have developed the ethnoracialization framework, which emphasizes the roles of racial hierarchies and ethnic identities interconnected with national origins. However, existing research has not established analytical strategies to incorporate this framework, leaving a gap between theory and practice. We propose an alternative analytical model to examine ethnoracialized political attitudes using the case of Asian Americans’ support for race-conscious college admissions. Using data from the 2016 National Asian American Survey, our effect coding reveals how Asian Americans’ race-conscious admissions attitudes vary by ethnicity. Then, we investigate whether this variation can be attributed to theoretical predictors of such attitudes, including the mention of previously supportive Supreme Court decisions on race-conscious admissions, through regression modeling. Most ethnic groups’ mean support scores significantly vary from the grand mean of Asian Americans, and those gaps remain significant even after controlling for socioeconomic backgrounds and general predictors. As an exception, redistributionism accounted for some ethnic variations. Certain predictors such as individual experiences of the U.S. opportunity structure and the racial justice frame shaped overall race-conscious admissions attitudes but did not reduce ethnic variations. These findings highlight the need for increased attention to the analysis of ethnic communities when studying ethnoracialized political attitudes, as our current theories appear insufficient in explaining variations observed between ethnic groups. Thus, conducting research that explores the interplay between Asian Americans, racialization, and ethnic communities will provide a more comprehensive understanding of Asian Americans and potentially other ethnoracialized groups.
Reading, Writing, and Harassment: White–Latinx Test Score Disparities on the U.S.–Mexico BorderCarris, Peggy Sue
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231169248
The U.S.–Mexico Border region is typified by enhanced immigration enforcement and legal violence, which are known to reduce the educational achievement of Latinx children and youth. Using data from the Stanford Education Data Archive, I compare math and reading test score disparities between White and Latinx students in public school districts in the four states along the U.S.–Mexico Border—California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas—with districts outside of the Border region. I find that reading and math test score disparities widen with proximity to the Border. Results indicate that educational and family-income differences between White and Latinx adults explain the disparity in math test scores. However, the reading test score disparity on the Border remains net of school and community factors, suggesting legal violence and immigration enforcement may be impacting Latinx youth and, therefore, increasing the size of the test score disparity. Finally, I find the test score disparities between the Border region and interior districts do not vary significantly in size across the four Border states.
The Death of White Sociology and the Academic Awakening of a Ghetto JewZwerman, Gilda
2023 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
doi: 10.1177/23326492231189794
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Joyce Ladner’s ground-breaking text, this essay traverses the border between book review and autobiography. The narrative, written in the first person, begins in Brownsville, Brooklyn in the mid-1960s. The author is a third generation Eastern European Jew who was nurtured by Black activist elders and became a white beneficiary of the educational opportunities created by the civil rights and Black power movements. Her undergraduate path was paved with classics in Black Studies, critical theory and Marxism. But it was Ladner’s seminal text that catapulted her into pursuit of an academic career in sociology. Its opening salvo - that the history of all hitherto American mainstream sociology has been the history of White sociology -held the promise that the color curtain was about to fall and that this profession was about to become an exciting place. The anticipated excitement derived partly from the book’s revelations of the hidden spurious claims underlying the discipline, its scathing criticism of research methods rooted in unproven and racist theories of human nature, and damaging distortions of Black life masquerading as “scientific sociology.” But Ladner’s volume reaches beyond critique: it illuminates the rich history of Black scholarship so long ignored by the discipline’s white gate-keepers; it offers a vision of engaged research conducted by Black scholars and their allies that would begin to remedy the damage, erase the distortions, and fortify the current generation of Black scholars against the tribulations they face in the profession. In doing so the text gives life to the project of creating a distinctive Black sociology.