Peniel E. Joseph

Dr. Peniel E. Joseph is the Barbara Jordan Chair in Political Values and Ethics at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and professor of history and the Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author and editor of six books on African American history, including the award winning Waiting ’Til the Midnight Hour: A Narrative HIstory of Black Power in America and Stokely: A Life.

Professor Joseph is a frequent national commentator on issues of race, civil rights, and democracy and a contributing opinion writer for CNN.com whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, NPR, CNN, MSNC, PBS NewsHour, and C-SPAN.

Professor Joseph is the proud son of Haitian immigrants who came to the United States during the civil rights era’s heroic period. Born and raised in New York City he stood on his first picket lines in elementary school and learned about Black history and social justice activism at the feet of his mother, a hospital worker, trade unionist, writer, feminist, and human rights activist.