Baldwin-King Project
The Baldwin-King Project is committed to learning and working with intellectual, social, economic and political partners to chart a path to a more just society.
Sidebar
Engaging with the Impacts of Race and Racism
As some sectors of the country back away from serious research, teaching and engagement of the history and current impacts of race and racism, the Baldwin-King Project is committed to facing these problems head on. It rests on the idea that the most effective research endeavors are embedded in the communities in which they reside. Ultimately, Baldwin-King is committed to learning and working with our intellectual, social, economic and political partners to chart a path to a more just society.
Importantly, Baldwin-King is rooted in the Envirome Institute’s comprehensive vision of health that considers the cultural, political, psychological, educational, environmental, economic, nutritional, spiritual and intellectual health of individuals and their communities. We also firmly believe research and education require an inclusive and diverse community that should foster an environment of acceptance and honesty.
In the spirit of James Baldwin and Martin Luther King, Jr., this new initiative is specifically dedicated to exploring multiple aspects of race and racism, historically and contemporarily, and their impacts on the Black human condition. To that end, Baldwin-King centers on producing research, publications, public lectures, small symposia, larger conferences, support of student scholars and more. With this multifaceted work, we hope to develop a better understanding and contextualization of hurdles facing racially marginalized communities locally, state-wide and nationally in an effort to improve their life outcomes.
Scholarly projects in process include “Kaepernick, Confederates, and Con-Artists” monograph. Major public educational events offered in FY24 included “Carter G. Woodson and the Killing of Black History” and the “2024 Baldwin-King Memorial Lecture” offered on the 56th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Baldwin-King Project by the Numbers
community attendees at FY25 events
undergraduate students instructed in FY25
community and organizational partners
Baldwin-King Scholar-in-Residence: Dr. Ricky L. Jones
Ricky L. Jones, PhD, is the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute’s Baldwin-King Scholar-in-Residence and Professor of Pan-African Studies at the University of Louisville. Dr. Jones’ research centers on race and democracy. He was educated as an undergraduate at the U.S. Naval Academy and Morehouse College and holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Kentucky. His books include “Black Haze: Violence, Sacrifice, and Manhood in Black Greek-Letter Fraternities” and “What’s Wrong with Obamamania?: Black America, Black Leadership, and the Death of Political Imagination." He has also written scores of scholarly and magazine articles and book chapters and is an opinion columnist for The Courier Journal and the USA Today Network. He has served as a local, national and international social and political analyst across various media.
