Earl Smith

Earl Smith, PhD, is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of American Ethnic Studies and Sociology at Wake Forest University, and is currently teaching classes in Sociology, African and African American Studies, and Women & Gender Studies at the University of Delaware. Dr. Smith earned his Ph.D. at the University of Connecticut. His teaching and research focus on the sociology of sport, social stratification, criminal justice, and race. He is the author of 12 books, including his most recent book, Way Down in the Hole (2022). He is the co-author of Gender, Power and Violence (2019), and Policing Black Bodies (2020) as well as dozens of book chapters and peer-reviewed articles. He has written several books on the impact of social inequality on Black families. His book Race, Sport and the American Dream, which has been published in three editions, remains the only book on the market that examines structural racism in the SportWorld. On a regular basis he is consulted as an expert by the New York Times, USA Today, and a variety of other news outlets. He teaches courses on social stratification, race and ethnicity, social problems, race and gender, and sexuality and sports.