Robert C. Smith (political scientist)

Robert C. Smith
Born(1947-02-12)February 12, 1947[1]
Benton, Louisiana[1]
DiedApril 13, 2023(2023-04-13) (aged 76) [2]
EducationUniversity of California, Berkeley
University of California, Los Angeles
Howard University
Known forWork on racial politics in the United States
Spouse
Scotlie Gibson Smith
​
​
(m. 1972)​
[1]
Children2[1]
AwardsDistinguished Ph.D. Alumni Award from Howard University (1998)
Scientific career
FieldsPolitical science
InstitutionsSan Francisco State University
ThesisBlack elites and Black groups in the federal policy process: a study in interest articulation (1976)

Robert Charles Smith (February 12, 1947 - April 13, 2023)[1][2] was a political science professor at San Francisco State University (SFSU). He is known for his scholarship on race and politics in the United States, about which he has written several books.[3][4] The "Black Politics" class he began teaching at SFSU in 1990 proved controversial; students protested the class because it was offered in the political science department rather than the African American studies department, which was interpreted by some students as encroaching on the latter department's area of focus.[5]

  1. ^ a b c d e Who's who Among African Americans. Gale Research. 2008. p. 1107. ISBN 9781414400204.
  2. ^ a b "Remembering Renowned Political Science Professor and Black Politics Scholar, Dr. Robert C. Smith". Political Science Now. American Political Science Association. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Minorities May Spurn The GOP, But The Party Welcomes Them". NPR. 2012-12-24. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  4. ^ "Race Alone Doesn't Explain Hatred Of Obama, But It's Part Of The Mix". NPR. 2014-05-13. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  5. ^ Depalma, Anthony (1991-01-02). "Hard-Won Acceptance Spawns New Conflicts Around Ethnic Studies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-06-19.