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About Ricky L. Jones

Dr. Ricky L. Jones is Professor and Chair of the University of Louisville's Department of Pan-African Studies. He is also the founding director of the University's “Center on Race and Inequality” (CRI). A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Jones was educated at the U.S. Naval Academy, Morehouse College, and the University of Kentucky. He was only the second African-American to receive a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Kentucky and specialized in Political Philosophy and Comparative Politics.
 
His books include: Two editions of 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, book chapters, and opinion columns.
 
Jones is a strong public scholar doing especially innovative work on American race, politics, leadership, and male identity. He has served as a local, national, and international social and political analyst across various media including appearances on the BBC, Canadian Broadcast Corporation's The Current with Anna Maria Tremonti, Democracy Now with Amy Goodman, HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, The Katie Couric Show, E! Entertainment, a variety of NPR and PBS programs, BET, and Al Jazeera in English.

Jones is the host of the "Ricky Jones Show" on 93.1 The Beat FM Louisville from iHeart Media. He is a contributing columnist for the Louisville Courier-Journal as well as Louisville's most popular alternative weekly, the Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO). His LEO column, Keeping Up with The Jones, is multiple time winner of the Best Minority Reporting award from the Louisville Society of Professional Journalists. Jones has been named one of Louisville's 25 Young Future Leaders by Louisville Magazine and was recently recognized as one of DIVERSE Issues in Higher Education's "25 to Watch in Academia."

Positions

August 2016 - Present Host, "The Ricky Jones Show", Premier/iHeart Media ‐ 93.1 The Beat
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October 2015 - Present Contributing Columnist, Gannett Company ‐ Louisville Courier-Journal
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July 2012 - Present Chair, University of Louisville ‐ Department of Pan-African Studies
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July 2009 - Present Professor, University of Louisville ‐ Department of Pan-African Studies
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May 2007 - Present Director, University of Louisville ‐ Center on Race & Inequality
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November 2002 - Present Columnist, Louisville Eccentric Observer ‐ LEO Weekly
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May 2002 - June 2009 Associate Professor, University of Louisville ‐ Department of Pan-African Studies
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July 2003 - July 2008 Chair, University of Louisville ‐ Department of Pan-African Studies
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June 2002 - June 2003 College of Arts & Sciences, Dean's Administrative Intern, University of Louisville
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June 2002 - June 2003 Vice-Chair, University of Louisville ‐ Department of Pan-African Studies
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August 1996 - May 2002 Assistant Professor, University of Louisville ‐ Department of Pan-African Studies
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August 1995 - May 1996 Instructor, University of Kentucky ‐ Department of Political Science
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August 1994 - May 1996 Graduate Assistant, National Pan-Hellenic Council Advisor and Diversity Programmer, University of Kentucky ‐ Office of the Dean of Students
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June 1995 - July 1995 National Science Foundation Multi-cultural Visiting Scholar, University of Nebraska - Lincoln ‐ Department of Political Science
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Curriculum Vitae

Disciplines

Research Interests

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Honors and Awards

  • One of the "25 to Watch" in Academia, Diverse Issues in Higher Education
  • Who's Who in Black Louisville
  • YMCA Adult Achiever
  • Best Minority/Women's Reporting for the "Keeping Up with The Jones" in Louisville Eccentric Observer. Awarded by the Society of Professional Journalists.
  • Most Influential Black Leaders Recognition, Louisville Courier-Journal
  • Association of Black Students "Guiding Light Award"
  • Most Influential Leaders under 40, Louisville Magazine
  • University of Louisville Trustee's Award Nominee
  • Eleanor Young Love Award for Distinguished Scholarship, Department of Pan-African Studies, University of Louisville
  • Office of Minority Affairs Faculty Appreciation Award
  • Lexington (KY) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Chapter Polemarch's Award
  • Golden Key National Honor Society, Honorary Member
  • University of Louisville Distinguished Teaching Nominee
  • National Science Foundation Teaching Fellow, University of Nebraska
  • Order of Omega Fraternal Honor Society
  • Lyman T. Johnson Graduate Fellow, University of Kentucky, 1992-1995
  • Lexington (KY) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Chapter Achievement Award
  • City of Atlanta Outstanding Youth Summer Camp Instructor
  • Pi Sigma Alpha, Political Science Honor Society, Gamma Lambda Chapter, Morehouse College

Courses

  • 20th Century Black Political and Intellectual Leadership
  • The Politics of Race and Sport
  • The Obama Phenomenon
  • Black Political and Philosophical Thought
  • Black Male Identity
  • Political Violence, and Black Resistance
  • Politics of the Black Community
  • Philosophies on Race, Color, and Consciousness
  • Introduction to Pan-African Studies

Education

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1996 Ph.D., University of Kentucky ‐ Department of Political Science
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1995 M.A., University of Kentucky ‐ Department of Political Science
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1992 B. A. with honors, Morehouse College ‐ Department of Political Science
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1987 - 1989 United States Naval Academy
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Links

Contact Information

Ricky L. Jones, Ph.D.
Strickler Hall 445
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
(502) 852-6455

Email:

Books (2)

Journal Articles (7)