This is sad, but it should be noted when the world loses someone who used their powers for good. Dr. Ronald Takaki, an ass-kicker in the field of ethnic studies (way before ethnic studies was fully accepted or in any way cool), ended his life after a twenty-year battle with multiple sclerosis. He began his teaching career at UCLA in 1966, right after the Watts riots, and taught the UC system’s first Black history course. Takaki went on to earn his PhD from UC Berkeley in 1967, where he spent the majority of his career. His was a vital, respected, and beloved voice on the importance of diversity and multiculturalism.

From the AP article:

After joining UC Berkeley’s faculty in 1971, Takaki established the Ethnic Studies department’s Ph.D. program, the first of its kind in the United States, and worked to draw talented scholars to teach there. He was the author or editor of nearly 20 books, most of them dealing with marginalized Americans, including the Pulitzer Prize-nominated Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans.

“Ron Takaki elevated and popularized the study of America’s multiracial past and present like no other scholar, and in doing so had an indelible impact on a generation of students and researchers across the nation and world,” said Don T. Nakanishi, director of UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center.

Further Reading:

Strangers From a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans
A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America
Hiroshima: Why America Dropped the Atomic Bomb
Authors and Contributors of A Dimly Burning Wick
MLK Speaker Emphasizes Stronger Peace Movement

Posted by Alexa Harrington

image credit: david katz/the michigan daily