Lecturer explains Du Bois’ role as eminent sociologist
If knowledge is power, then the scientific method, rigorously applied, can be a liberating force for social change — which explains, argues Aldon D. Morris, professor of sociology at Northwestern University, why the denial of W.E.B. Du Bois’ groundbreaking work in sociology is not merely an affront to a historic figure but a larger, societal attack on justice, equality, and science itself. Giving the keynote speech at “Scholarship Above the Veil: A Sesquicentennial Symposium Honoring W.E.B. Du Bois” on Friday evening, Morris discussed DuBois’ role as a founding father of American sociology. In an impassioned talk from the pulpit of Cambridge’s University Lutheran Church, Morris argued how the scholar’s work has been systematically ignored for decades. In a larger context, he depicted this as a racist choice that has had implications for his field of scholarship, for academia, and for American society. Drawing from his award-winning 2015 book, “The Scholar Denied: W.E.B....