Influential African American Sociologists
Danyel Joseph Johnnie Johnson Brandon Wallace Danté Pratt
North Carolina A&T State University
Professor Hardy
February 13, 2014
Abstract
Robert Allen and Robert Staples were two influential sociologists that fought against people who were being mistreated based on fear and ignorance. Allen believes people should work towards breaking the barriers of racism and inequality. He feels it is not a fight that can be won by standing on the sidelines and refereeing. Allen states it is every person’s job to try and connect these issues, not only from a personal standpoint, but also from a social perspective. We must work towards some kind of change. Our goal is to explore the background of these two phenomenal sociologists, Robert Allen and Robert Staples, by studying and analyzing their personal information such as birth, place of residence, nationality an their preferences. We will also discuss their education backgrounds to see what helped influenced their path of becoming a sociologist. Additionally, we will discuss what contributions both Robert Staples and Robert Allen made in sociology.
Robert Lee Allen was born on May 29, 1942, in Atlanta, Georgia (Jones, 2002). His father, also Robert Allen, was a mechanic, and his mother, Sadie Allen, was a teacher (Jones, 2002). Education was important in the Allen home and young Robert and his three sisters were encouraged to do well in school and to set high goals for achievement (Jones, 2002). This was often difficult for the Allen family, and when Robert was a child Atlanta was still heavily segregated (Jones, 2002). The Jim Crow laws restricted black Americans from many types of employment, most available housing, many public and private buildings, public transportation, and even from medical care (Jones, 2002). One of the harshest aspects of the Jim Crow segregation laws were the excuses they often...