Professor William Julius Wilson, a prominent social science professor from Harvard University, will be speaking about the causes of racial tension Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in the Kiva Lecture Hall.
Wilson is one of 18 Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professors at Harvard University, which is the highest academic distinction the university bestows on its faculty. In June 1996, Wilson was selected by Time magazine as one of America's 25 most influential people.
Beverly Burris, a UNM sociology professor, said sociology students and faculty are looking forward to Wilson's lecture. The presentation, "The Roots of Racial Tensions: Urban Ethnic Neighborhoods," is free to the community.
"The sociology department is very excited because he is one of the most prominent sociologists in the world," she said.
Richard Wood, a UNM sociology professor, echoed sentiments about Wilson's visit.
"It's a great thing to have someone of his caliber because he is literally a superstar in the field of race relations and the field of sociology," he said.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Wood said some of Wilson's work deals with the intersection of race.
"Especially in black and white relations, he concentrates on how poverty shapes people's lives," he said.
Wilson is the author of many books including "The Declining Significance of Race," "The Truly Disadvantaged," "When Work Disappears" and "The Bridge Over the Racial Divide."
Burris said Wilson's book, "When Work Disappears," has played a significant role in the research she is now doing.
"It talks about the conditions of the inner city and what happens when firms relocate and move to other cities," she said. "His lecture will talk about racism and what causes racial tension between people and I think it is going to be meaningful to a lot of people in New Mexico."
Wood said Wilson is familiar with New Mexico and has a summer home in the southern part of the state. "He is a model of a really great academic who cares deeply about the community," Wood said. "His work tries to improve society and make a contribution to a wider community."
Wilson is the past president of the American Sociological Association and has received 37 honorary degrees including honorary doctorates from Princeton University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, Dartmouth College and the University of Amsterdam in Holland.
His lecture is being sponsored by the UNM Sociology Department and co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Departments of Political Science and Philosophy and the Southwest Hispanic Research Institute.
