JWJI Distinguished Lecture featuring Rogers M. Smith (University of Pennsylvania)

The James Weldon Johnson Institute is honored to welcome Political scientist Rogers M. Smith for the 2026 James Weldon Johnson Distinguished Lecture. Dr. Smith is the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author or co-author of many articles and nine books, most recently “America’s New Racial Battle Lines: Protect versus Repair” (2024) with Desmond King. His book “Civic Ideals: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History”, was a Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society, and a former president of the American Political Science Association. Dr. Smith’s lecture, titled “The Declaration of Independence and American Dreams,” will take place on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 4:00 PM in the Atwood Chemistry Building, Room 360, at Emory University (1515