Dr. Joseph L. Jones, a notable academic and thought leader, serves as the Executive Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Southern Center for the Studies in Public Policy and holds the rank of Associate Professor of Political Science at Clark-Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. His academic journey includes a B.A. in Political Science from Philander Smith University, and he attained his M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Clark-Atlanta University.

Dr. Jones has a rich history in academia, having been the Founding Executive Director of the Social Justice Institute at Philander Smith University and the 14th President of Arkansas Baptist College. His intellectual pursuits have taken him to prestigious institutions, with academic fellowships at the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University and the Black Panther Party Research Project at Stanford University.

Throughout his career, Dr. Jones has received numerous accolades, including the Fannie Lou Hamer Community Service Award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists and the Bobby E. Wright Courageous Award from the National Association of Black Psychologists in 2016. His commitment to mentorship was recognized with the James and Jewel Prestage Mentorship Award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists in 2020.

Dr. Jones’ research spans diverse areas such as African American Political Thought, Political Theory, Politics of Education, and Historical Methods. His extensive research portfolio and publications delve into topics like decolonizing political theory, the politics of education focusing on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Black Politics with emphasis on the Obama era, and his most recent endeavor on citizen insecurity in western democracies.

Author of the recently published A Life of Payne (May 2023), Dr. Jones recently released another impactful and highly regarded book, Black, Not Historically Black: Towards the Pan-Black College and University, in early 2025, published by Third World Press. His dedication to scholarship, mentorship, and advocacy for social justice continues to shape the discourse in his field, making Dr. Joseph L. Jones a leading figure in contemporary academia.