Darnell Hunt facts for kids

Darnell Montez Hunt (born in 1962) is an American sociologist and a leader in academics. He is a professor of sociology and African American studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He also used to be the director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies. From August to December 2024, Hunt even served as the interim chancellor of UCLA, which means he was temporarily in charge of the entire university.

Education and Learning

Darnell Hunt has a strong background in education. He earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Arts in journalism (public relations), from the University of Southern California in 1984. Later, in 1988, he received a Master of Business Administration from Georgetown University. He continued his studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. There, he earned a Master of Arts in sociology in 1991 and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in sociology in 1994.

Career and Work

After finishing his studies, Darnell Hunt became a full professor. He teaches both Sociology and African American Studies. He has held important leadership roles at UCLA. He was the head of the Sociology department. He also directed the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies. This center focuses on research about African American life. Since July 2017, Professor Hunt has been the dean of Social Sciences. This means he oversees many different departments within the social sciences at UCLA.

Books and Research

Darnell Hunt has written and edited several important books. He also publishes an annual report. This report looks at how much diversity there is in the film industry. Since 2014, his reports have shown that there isn't enough diversity. For example, his 2017 report found that very few television writers were Black. To help fix this, he suggested that TV producers use the Rooney Rule. This rule encourages companies to interview diverse candidates for jobs.

His first book is called Screening the Los Angeles "Riots:" Race, Seeing and Resistance. This book explores how different groups of people, like white, Black, and Hispanic television viewers, understood the 1992 Los Angeles riots. His second book, O.J. Simpson Facts and Fictions: News Rituals in the Construction of Reality, is about the O. J. Simpson murder case.

Hunt also edited two other books. One book, Channeling Blackness: Studies on Television and Race in America, discusses how Black people are shown on television. His fourth book, Black Los Angeles: American Dreams and Racial Realities, was co-edited with Ana-Christina Ramón. This book is a collection of articles about different areas in Los Angeles, like South Los Angeles and Leimert Park. It shares many stories about the experiences of Black people in these areas.