Some sociologists referred to W.E.B. Du Bois, a 19th century sociologist, as the founding father of American Sociology due to his trailblazing social science research, The Philadelphia Negro. However, The Philadelphia Negro globally revolutionized social science and epidemiological research that expands far beyond sociology and the United States.…

This article highlights the overshadowed contributions that Marion Thompson Wright, Ruby Jackson Gainer, and Mamie Phipps Clark made to the landmark "Brown v. Board of Education" case. Arguably, "Brown" would not have materialized without their legal and scholarly activism. Yet their legacies were eclipsed by legendary race men…

There is a paucity of historical discourse on the distinct contributions of African American women serving as deans of women at historically Black colleges and universities. Using historical research and the case study approach, the analysis focused on three deans of women: Lucy Diggs Slowe--Howard University, Owena Hunter Davis--Johnson C. Smith…

The "freedom of choice" strategy is discussed as an alternative to the cultural deficit orientation that underlies current school desegregation strategies, since the latter are failing to make any educational difference for Black children. (Author/AM)

Examines the work of African American psychologist and social-educational anthropologist Allison Davis, focusing on his three major sociological studies. The relevance and implications of his research and his ideas about the American school curriculum are discussed. (SLD)

Presents a critical assessment of two major schools of thought in the human sciences relative to the mythology of race: logical positivism and social realism. It argues that the science that supports racist arguments must be questioned. An alternative science that socially empowers the oppressed is proposed. (GR)

Maintains that science is often used as a justification to propose, project, and enact racist social policies. The philosophy of Social Darwinism is reviewed, and its assumptions about race and human abilities is discussed. The consequences of scientific racism for dominant groups are analyzed. (GR)

Investigates claims of superior white intelligence from an emerging race relations perspective that describes the symbolic labor used to construct a psychological and cultural self that legitimizes white privilege. Representations of the white self and other notions are critiqued, such as the construction of equality as the prerogative of whites…

E. Franklin Frazier's sociological work laid the cornerstone for research in Black Studies. His analysis of the relationship between social organization and culture, and the effect of racial and cultural subordination on Black intellectuals is explored. Frazier's theme, that the issue of assimilation is the central problem facing Black Americans,…

Presents two models: the first "addresses children of different socioeconomic statuses and ethnic backgrounds to assess the relative importance of attributes to children across class and caste-like lines" whereas the second "argues that the arena in which children function is composed of three parts: the family, the school and the peers."…

Argues that ecological issues are at the core of concerns about the violence U.S. students, particularly those in low-income urban communities, are exposed to or experience within or outside of school. It suggests the need for ecological systems theory-based mental health consultation for teachers and outlines a framework for creating teacher- and…

Examines the individual differences in cognitive styles of black male elementary school students to determine the implications of these differences for reading comprehension processes, especially of expository text. Results from 43 4th-grade students from 3 urban public schools reveal differences in reading comprehension for low and high…

Currently, theoretical approaches to studying minority adolescence involve implicit links among ethnicity and pathology, cultural difference, and cultural deviance. This paper discusses theoretical approaches for exploring the interactive relationship among ethnicity, identity, and competence for minority youth to reconceptualize their…

Examines the future plans of black, undergraduate females about their education, careers, marriage, dating, and choice of marriage partners. Responses from 70 undergraduates attending an urban university reveal that four-fifths plan postgraduate study, 90% hope for a career, and 15% percent chose to remain single. Reasons for remaining single and…

Examines the myth of motivational differences in black and white children's success in achievement tasks. Task performance outcomes from 145 children show that when tasks were systematically controlled across age, sex, and race substrata for interest value, racial differences in motivation disappeared. Implications for motivational theory and…