Harry Edwards

Dr. Harry Edwards is a renowned sociologist and civil rights activist best known for his focus on the vital connections between race, society, and professional sports. Known as a “giant of sports activism,” and “the father of sports sociology,” Harry has spent the past half-century advocating for the rights of Black athletes and the need for Black leadership in sports, from the NFL to the Olympics. In 1967, he was a co-founder and lead organizer of the Olympic Project for Human Rights, a movement designed to expose how America used Black athletes to lie to the world (and to itself) about institutional racism. From 1970 until 2000, he taught sociology at the University of California at Berkeley, where he is now Professor Emeritus; and since the 1980s, he’s worked as a consultant for individual teams and as well as entire leagues in professional sports, helping them to bring more diversity into their leadership, their players, and their thinking. He is the author of four books, including The Revolt of the Black Athlete and The Struggle That Must Be: An Autobiography, and countless essays and articles about sports, race, and sociology. To this day, his fight for justice endures. We are so excited for you to hear this conversation with Harry Edwards!