Fifty Key Scholars in Black Social Thought is a collaborative volume that uplifts and explores the intellectual activism and scholarly contributions of Black social thinkers. It implores readers to integrate the research of Black scholars into their teaching and research, and fundamentally, to rethink the dominant epistemological claims and philosophical underpinnings of the Western social sciences. It features 50 chapters, written by 55 scholars who explore the diverse contributions of notable Black thinkers, both historical and contemporary.

Four thematic areas organize this work—Black epistemology, Black geopolitics, Black oppression and resistance, and Black families and communities. Through a close analysis of the fifty thinkers presented here, the chapters explore these themes while dismantling the whitewashed disciplinary histories, methodologies, and content that obscure and/or subjugate the significance of Black social thought. In addition to offering insightful and timely analysis, each chapter offers suggested readings for readers who would like to dive deeper into the work of Black social thinkers.

This volume offers an accessible starting point for exploring the work of Black scholars past and present and their contributions to sociology and the social sciences more broadly. It is useful to students, academics, practitioners, and the lay public who are curious about Black social thought.

Marie-Claude Jipguep-Akhtar is Associate Professor of Sociology at Howard University, where she has served as graduate program director for close to ten years. Her research interests are race/ethnicity, gender, the life course, and “place” disparities in health and criminal justice. Her research and teaching incorporate Black sociological perspectives that explain the influence of race on the opportunity structure of minorities and the fundamental social inequalities that significantly impact their health, socioeconomic, material, political, and other outcomes.

Nazneen M. Khan is Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology at Randolph-Macon College, where she also serves as Director of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. Using intersectional theory and methodology, her research and teaching focuses on families, children, and reproductive health and wellbeing in a US context. Her recent scholarship can be read in Contexts, Children & Society, and Sociological Focus. She is also editor of COVID-19 and Childhood Inequality (2022).