Melvin Rogers Receives the 2024 Ralph J. Bunche Award for “The Darkened Light of Faith: Race, Democracy, and Freedom in African American Political Thought” –

The Ralph J. Bunche Award is presented annually by the American Political Science Association (APSA) to honor the best scholarly work in political science that explores the phenomenon of ethnic and cultural pluralism. Citation from the Award Committee: In The Darkened Light of Faith: Race, Democracy, and Freedom in African American Political Thought, Rogers offers a nuanced account of what democracy means and what is it’s potential for transformation. Centering the voices of African American thinkers, Rogers’ work provides a view of American democracy and its potential from the perspective of ‘disinherited’ Americans who have seen their life chances rise and fall with the whims of white supremacy.  Hope, however, is what these authors see in times of despair and their vision for how to transform American society could not be more important given our contemporary political condition.  Rogers’ work shows that African American have been the true believers in America’s possibility to become a more perfect union.  These commitments have not only sustained Black people, but also guided America through its most trying periods.  This book could not be more important and speaks to the difficulties but also the possibilities of Black life and America’s promise.  This book is...