Michael Dawson (political scientist) facts for kids

Michael C. Dawson is an American political scientist. This means he studies how governments work and how people make political choices. He is a professor at the University of Chicago. He also started a special center there. This center helps people study race, politics, and culture. Professor Dawson mainly studies the political ideas and actions of African Americans. He uses facts and numbers, and also big ideas about society, to understand these topics.

His Journey in Education and Work

Michael Dawson finished his first degree at the University of California, Berkeley in 1982. Then, he earned his PhD from Harvard University in 1986. Before teaching at the University of Chicago, he also worked at The University of Michigan and Harvard University.

Important Books He Wrote

Professor Dawson has written four books. His first book, Behind the Mule: Race and Class in African-American Politics, came out in 1994. Another scholar, Hanes Walton Jr., said it was a "pioneering" book. The book talks about how race was very important for African Americans for a long time. Because of this, it was often better for them to think about what was good for their whole group, not just for themselves.

His most recent book is Blacks In and Out of the Left, published in 2013. This book looks at the history of African Americans in radical movements in the 1900s. It highlights how Black nationalism played a big role in American leftist politics. Dawson argues that this part of history has often been left out. He suggests it should be included more in future political groups.

Helping the Academic World

Professor Dawson has held important positions in the academic world. He started and helps edit the Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race. This is a journal where experts share their research on race and politics. It is published by Cambridge University Press. He has also been the head of the political science department at the University of Chicago.

Awards and Recognition

Michael Dawson has received several important awards. In 2006, he became a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This is a special honor for leading thinkers. In 2017, he received the Hanes Walton Award from the American Political Science Association. This award honors a political scientist who has greatly helped us understand race and ethnic politics. It also recognizes work that shows how different groups can get along in a democracy.

Professor Dawson has also written for popular news outlets. These include the Boston Review and The New York Times. His work has been mentioned in other publications like The Washington Post.

Selected Works

• Behind the Mule: Race and Class in African-American Politics (1994)
• Black Visions: The Roots of Contemporary African-American Political Ideologies (2001)
• Not In Our Lifetimes: The Future of Black Politics (2011)
• Blacks In and Out of the Left (2013)

Selected Awards

• Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2006)
• Hanes Walton Jr. Award, American Political Science Association (2017)