Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.

Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and chair of the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University. As an author, political commentator, public intellectual, and passionate educator, he focuses on the complex dynamics of the American experience. He is a widely respected scholar of religious studies and has served on the board of the American Academy of Religion, including a term as president in 2017. His books on religion and philosophy include An Uncommon Faith: A Pragmatic Approach to the Study of African American Religion (2018), African American Religion: A Very Short Introduction (2016), and Exodus! Religion, Race, and Nation in Early Nineteenth-Century Black America (2000), which was awarded the Modern Language Association’s William Sanders Scarborough Book Prize. Glaude also writes books for a wider audience, including his recent Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own (2020), as well as Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul (2016) and In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America (2007). These works offer a broad account of Black communities, the difficulties of race in the United States, and the challenges that this country faces as a democracy. Glaude frequently appears in the media—as a columnist for TIME Magazine, an MSNBC contributor on programs such as Morning Joe, and as a regular guest on Meet the Press. He holds a BA from Morehouse College, an MA in African American studies from Temple University, and a PhD in religion from Princeton University.