INTERROGATING RACE, CRIME, AND JUSTICE IN A TIME OF UNEASE AND RACIAL TENSION

• Date: 01 May 2017
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9125.12140
• Published date: 01 May 2017

2016 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS TO THE AMERICAN

SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY

INTERROGATING RACE, CRIME, AND JUSTICE

IN A TIME OF UNEASE AND RACIAL TENSION∗

RUTH D. PETERSON

Department of Sociology, Ohio State University

KEYWORDS: scholars of color, race/ethnicity and crime/justice, racial disparities,

inclusive scholarship, post-truth

This address has a twofold purpose. First, as the first African American to serve as

president of the American Society of Criminology (ASC), I celebrate the contributions

of scholars of color to the study of crime and criminal justice and to the ASC. I do

so by pointing out the accomplishments of several African American scholars whose

contributions are numerous and exemplary. I also emphasize that African Americans

are joined in their efforts by scholars of multiple other colors, including, Latinos/as,

Native Americans, and Asians. Second, in view of responses to apparent unrest and

racial tension in U.S. society that is signaled by lethal violence between police and U.S.

residents of color, I offer four recommendations regarding how we might proceed with

our research, and report our findings, in ways that improve the likelihood of helping to

inform societal debates and policy developments around crime and justice issues. In my

conclusion, I encourage the ASC to 1) continue to grow the diversity of its membership

and to integrate the research and findings of scholars of color into the mainstream

of criminology; and 2) take further steps to conduct research and share findings with

diverse audiences to ensure that post-truth does not become normative regarding crime

and justice issues.

Thank you very much for that AMAZING ovation!!! Let me begin this address by

thanking my friend Laurie Krivo for her warm introduction, for being my academic part-

ner for nearly 25 years, and for serving with Katheryn Russell-Brown as program co-chairs

for this very fine meeting. Laurie, Katheryn, and the great program committee that they

put together are due full credit for the organization and success of the program that we

have enjoyed at this conference. I am forever grateful to them. Along with the program

committee, I must also sing the praises of Andrea Leverentz and Marianne Fisher Gior-

lando, who co-chaired the local arrangements committee, as well as of members Hollie

Brehm, Xiaojin Chen, Kelly Frailing, and Volkan Topalli. They provided us with great

information about, and suggestions for, enjoying New Orleans. I am also grateful to all

∗This address was delivered at the 2016 annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology in

New Orleans, LA, on November 18, 2016. It has been adapted here for publication.

Direct correspondence to Ruth D. Peterson, Ohio State University, 238 Townshend Hall, 1885 Neil

Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (e-mail: peterson.5@osu.edu).

C2017 American Society of Criminology doi: 10.1111/1745-9125.12140

CRIMINOLOGY Volume 55 Number 2 245–272 2017 245

246 PETERSON

of the committee chairs and members that worked on behalf of the Society during the

past year. I wish that I could speak the name of every person who served, but our time is

too limited. Still, I want to recognize them all for the work carried out under the auspices

of my presidency; I can truly say that my most important contribution to the society this

year was putting together very fine committees. They, in turn, undertook the work while

I looked on assured that good decisions would be made.

Jody Owens II, thank you so very much for your work.1In the world of crime and crim-

inal justice, little seems more important to me than efforts to assist young people in their

plights to gain a little stake in this great society and, eventually, to become productive

citizens. This means that we have to do all that we can to bring a measure of human-

ity even to those who are in trouble with the law. Thank you for doing your part in this

respect and for setting an example that others can emulate. Also, thank you for sharing

information about how and why you do the work that you do with this group. We can see

from your comments the extent to which you are in the trenches. I commend you for your

commitment, hard work, and jobs well done.

Finally, I want to thank all members of the ASC for providing me with this opportunity

to serve as President of the Society. Being president of the ASC is an honor and rare

privilege, one that I do not take for granted. I am also quite aware that the Society itself

positioned me for this role by providing many opportunities that propelled me forward

and helped to bring me to this moment.2There is a very long list of more senior (in

career, that is) and peer scholars who have engaged with me, shared ideas, sponsored

me in a variety of roles, supported my activities, or otherwise have made it possible for

me to succeed. The group is so large that I have to forego any attempt to name them.

Thus, I hope that you all know who you are and know that I am grateful to each of

you, individually and collectively, for being the village that helped to bring about this

criminologist. I thank you all.

PROGRESSION OF THE ADDRESS

For the remainder of my time, I hope to make two general points related to the theme

of this year’s annual meeting: “The Many Colors of Crime and Justice.” First, I seek to pay

tribute to the contributions to criminology and criminal justice of people of color, particu-

larly African Americans, but also other groups, for example, Latinos, Native Americans,

1. Jody E. Owens II is the 2016 recipient of the ASC “President’s Award for Distinguished Contri-

butions to Justice.” This award was bestowed upon him for his work as the director and man-

aging attorney of the Mississippi Office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. In this role, his

contributions to justice are numerous and include addressing unconstitutional conditions of con-

finement of children and youth in for-profit and public detention facilities; efforts to reform

Mississippi’s juvenile justice, educational, and mental health systems; and litigating matters in-

volving mass incarceration, private prisons, and the school to prison pipeline (see https://www.

splcenter.org/about/staff/jody-owens-ii).

2. Participating in the ASC has helped to shape my career through knowledge and contacts that

stemmed from being given the opportunity to serve as program chair for the 50th anniversary meet-

ing; the collegiality and opportunities that come from participating in the Divisions on People of

Color and Crime and on Women and Crime; being elected to the Executive Board for three differ-

ent positions; being selected for several society and division awards (Fellow Status, the Sutherland

Award, the Coramae Richey Mann Award, etc.); and having the graduate fellowships for race and

ethnicity diversity named in my honor.