Arts , Humanities & Social Science

Abstract

In two previous articles I reflected on how and why I became a sociologist. The first article discussed my role as a public, or engaged sociologist in the article, “The Scholar-Activist.” The second article discussed the evolution of my sociological education in the article, “Becoming a Sociologist.” As I recall the memories of my early years in sociology, what stands out as a major theme is the degree to which unplanned ideas and projects suggested by other researchers have helped to shape my sociological projects and research agenda. On the other hand, my research and sociological agenda, while in graduate school, had been to make my mark as a Du Bois scholar and to focus on urban and community culture and politics. The latter had been a research and sociological objective ever since I initially sought to conduct my Masters Thesis on the transformation of social and cultural politics of Black Charlestonians in their adaptation to life in Harlem.