Power, Politics, People, and Knowledge

In an age when many professors, politicians, and everyday people are harassed and threatened for their political views and lifestyles, this presidential address asks that we reflect about people as historical and social actors. It urges us to be resolute in the face of a changing world and generous enough to recognize change is an outcome of people’s actions. As such, can unmake what we the people create. The address contends that it is essential for social scientists to direct our attention to the great struggles and issues of our time in a collaborative effort with everyday people to create a truly beloved community. Consider that most academicians are not in a collaborative mood C. Wright Mills’s poignantly stated: “it is one thing to talk about general problems . . . , and quite another to tell an individual what to do. Most ‘experts’ dodge that question. I do not want to.” This address urges reluctant social scientists to step into struggle for creation of the beloved community. It asks us to consider the contributions of actors and epistemologies of regions in the nation and around the world. Moreover, the address asks that we confront the obstacles fueling our reluctance to engage struggles for liberation.