Nathan Hare, founder of the first Black studies program in the United States, passed away on June 10. He was 91 years old.
Dr. Hare was very involved in the civil rights movement throughout the 1960s and was a strong advocate for equal educational opportunities for Black Americans. He began his career in 1961 as an assistant professor of sociology at Howard University in Washington, D.C. During his tenure with the historically Black university, he was involved with the Black Power movement, leading both student and faculty protests on campus.
Seven years later, Dr. Hare was recruited by San Francisco State University to establish the first Black studies program in the United States. He continued his activism in his new role, but was ultimately let go after one year. Soon after he left San Francisco State University, he co-founded The Black Scholar: Journal of Black Studies and Research.
Alongside his wife Julia, Dr. Hare went on to establish the Black Think Tank. The pair wrote several books together including, The Endangered Black Family: Coping With the Unisexualization and Coming Extinction of the Black Race (Black Think Tank, 1984). Dr. Hare eventually transitioned to the field of psychology to serve as a practicing clinical psychologist, dedicating his work to promoting the wellness of Black Americans.
Dr. Hare was a graduate of historically Black Langston University in Oklahoma, where he majored in sociology. He received his master’s degree and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago. He held a second Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology.
