Cedric Robinson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cedric Robinson
Cedric Robinson in 2006
Born	November 5, 1940 Oakland, California
Died	June 5, 2016 (aged 75)
Nationality	United States of America
Education	University of California, Berkeley San Francisco State Stanford University

Cedric James Robinson (born November 5, 1940 – died June 5, 2016) was an American professor. He taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). He led departments like Black Studies and Political Science. He also directed the Center for Black Studies Research. Robinson studied many topics. These included how governments work, social ideas, and the history of people of African descent. He also looked at how media and politics are connected.

Early Life and Learning

Cedric Robinson was born in Alabama on November 5, 1940. He later moved to Oakland and grew up there. He went to the University of California, Berkeley. There, he earned a degree in social anthropology in 1963. This is the study of human societies and cultures. He then went to Stanford University. He earned his master's and Ph.D. degrees there in political theory in 1974. Political theory is about ideas of government and how societies should be organized.

As a student, Cedric became an activist. This means he worked to bring about change. He protested against university rules and government policies. He joined other Black students who wanted change. He was part of the Afro-American Association at Berkeley. This group talked about Black identity and fighting racism. They also discussed how African countries became independent.

Cedric's grandfather, Winston "Cap" Whiteside, greatly influenced his views. His grandfather had to leave his hometown in Mobile, Alabama. He stood up for his wife against an unfair boss. He then moved to California during the Great Migration in the 1920s. This was when many African Americans moved from the South to other parts of the U.S. Robinson also looked up to thinkers like C. L. R. James and Terence Hopkins.

Career and Public Service

After college, Cedric Robinson joined the U.S. Army. He also worked for the Alameda County Probation Department. From 1971 to 1973, he taught Political Science and Black Studies. This was at the University of Michigan. In 1973, he got his first full-time teaching job at Binghamton University.

In 1978, Robinson joined the teaching staff at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He became the director of the Center for Black Studies Research. This center studies the history and culture of Black people.

Starting Third World News Review

In 1980, Cedric Robinson and student Corey Dubin started a radio show. It was called Third World News Review (TWNR). They felt that news often showed a biased view of the "Third World." This term used to describe developing countries. They wanted to share different perspectives. The show started on the campus radio station, KCSB.

Five years later, the show also became available on public access television. Since 1980, students and teachers from UCSB have helped create the program. They have contributed to it and produced it.

Cedric Robinson wrote five books. He also published many articles in academic journals. His writings covered topics like political thought in the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean. He also wrote about Western social ideas, movies, and the news.

Images for kids

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  Cedric Robinson in 2006