The Lost Black Scholar

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Allison Davis (1902-83) was a pioneering black scholar renowned for his research on inequality, Jim Crow America, and the biases in intelligence testing. As one of the first black anthropologists and the first tenured African American professor at a predominantly white university, Davis's work significantly influenced public policy, contributing to landmark cases like Brown v. Board of Education, the federal Head Start program, and school testing practices. Despite his extensive contributions, Davis remains largely overlooked in historical accounts, a marginalization that is both surprising and revealing. In The Lost Black Scholar, David A. Varel explores Davis's story, illustrating how institutional racism, disciplinary eclecticism, and iconoclastic thinking sidelined him in the intellectual arena. Analyzing Davis's career provides insights into the racial dynamics of academia and the challenges faced by innovators outside the mainstream. Varel emphasizes that Davis played a crucial role in advancing American social thought, challenging scientific racism and highlighting the environmental factors behind human differences, often more effectively than many of his white contemporaries. Ultimately, Davis's work laid essential groundwork for the civil rights movement.