SSRC Summer Conference

Benjamin Mays built a legacy of hope in his career as social scientist, educator and public intellectual. His career spanned the dawn of the great depression and ended with the collapse of Jim Crow and the rise of the conservative revolution. Mays examined the relationship of church to society and the public role of education in a segregated America while drawing lessons from the obstacles he faced and the social movements he witnessed within and without American borders. Mays established a critical and constructive relationship to his communities and advocated the application of science and the humanities to transform individuals and society. Mays strengthened a number of black educational institutions and helped to forge a culture within HBCUs and civil rights advocacy organizations that challenged and outlived formal segregation.

The momentous recent changes in our political and economic environments present an opportunity to re-examine Mays’ legacy.  If “hope” or the feeling that “what is wanted can be had” or “events will turn out for the best” can transform and diversify our political institutions, can we hope for the same in the academy? What opportunities and challenges will this generation of scholars face? It is widely acknowledged that science and technology can provide innovative answers to critical global issues such as clean renewable energy, health care and accessibility of quality education to all. As the first decade of the 21st century draws to an end, how can Mellon Mays fellows vivify this hope and transform it into action in the communities where they live and work? As we consider the public roles and responsibilities of students and scholars in an era of hope, economic crisis and environmental devastation, what parallels can we identify, what risks can we see, and what contrasts can we draw from the legacy of Benjamin Mays?

To register for this event, please visit the SSRC-Mellon Mays Graduate Initiatives website.