Author and political activist Manning Marable, most famous for his writings on race and ethnicity, will arrive at the College today as the Summer term's Montgomery Fellow.
Marable, a history professor at Columbia University and the director of the University's Institute for Research in African American Studies, will be teaching a history course about twentieth century black political thought.
"The thing I look forward to the most is the students," Marable said from his office at Columbia yesterday. "I've heard that Dartmouth is a great place to teach."
In addition to the course, Marable will hold a series of lectures about race in America, including a speech based on a book he is currently working on, titled "What Black America Thinks: Race, Politics and Power in America."
"I hope my presence on campus will encourage the students to work towards the goal of having greater diversity," Marable said.
This is not Marable's first visit to Dartmouth. The last time he made a trip to Hanover was in the early 1980s when the College had a "very different environment."
"It struck me as an extremely hostile place for women, people of color, gays and lesbians," Manning said. "I look forward to witnessing the positive changes that Dartmouth has experienced over the years."
Before joining the Columbia faculty in 1993, Marable founded the African and Hispanic Studies Program at Colgate University. He also chaired the Black Studies department at Ohio State University.
Marable also serves as the public policy adviser to the Congressional Black Caucus and as the chair to Committees of Correspondence, a left-wing political organization.
Marable is the author of 12 books, including, "Beyond Black and White" and "Truth to Power: Essays on Race, Resistance, and Radicalism." He is currently working on a book about the attitudes of race among blacks, for which he surveyed more than 600 black Americans. He plans to finish the book during his fellowship at the College.
