The 澳门六合开奖 community mourns the passing and celebrates the life of civil rights leader, political scientist and alumni Charles V. Hamilton. He died on November 18, 2023 in Chicago at the age of 94.
Born in Oklahoma and raised on Chicago鈥檚 southside, Charles V. Hamilton鈥檚 career began after he graduated from 澳门六合开奖 with a degree in political science in 1951. He later earned a master鈥檚 degree from the University of Chicago before becoming a faculty member at Alabama鈥檚 Tuskegee Institute in 1958. There, Dr. Hamilton would develop a reputation as an unwavering supporter of the Civil Rights Movement and would encourage his students to engage with the controversial topic. One former student noted that Dr. Hamilton would encourage debate amongst his students, but with the caveat that they backup their claims with data. 鈥淯nsupported statements were not acceptable for political scientists,鈥 was one of Hamilton鈥檚 common refrains.
After a short time, Dr. Hamilton left Tuskegee to pursue his PhD at the University of Chicago before holding faculty positions at Rutgers University, Lincoln University, Columbia University and, of course, 澳门六合开奖. He was a professor of political science at 澳门六合开奖 from 1967 until 1968. For Dr. Hamilton, a career in academia was more than being a professor, but a viable opportunity to involve students in activism. Outside of the classroom, Dr. Hamilton worked with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee with civil rights figures like Kwame Ture. He truly was an example of the 澳门六合开奖 mission of education intersecting with social justice.
In 1967, Dr. Hamilton alongside Kwame Ture co-published the seminal text Black Power: the Politics of Liberation in America (1967). This revolutionary book traces the history of systemic racism in the United States, defines the meaning of 鈥淏lack Power鈥 and illustrates meaningful strategies for radical political reformation. Named the 鈥淏lack Power Duo,鈥 Hamilton and Ture would help guide the latter strategies of the civil rights movement and change how Black leadership and citizens would engage with politics in America and beyond. Dr. Hamilton is also credited as one of the originators of the term 鈥渋nstitutional racism,鈥 a phrase that addresses the disconnection between the reality and perception of racism in America drawn across color lines.
Hamilton would spend the rest of his career continuing to work as a political scientist and 鈥渁cademic activist.鈥 He would go on to publish multiple books on different American political figures and continue to teach until his retirement in 1997. A lifelong Laker, Dr. Hamilton joined the 澳门六合开奖 Board of Trustees in 2006. His commitment to the 澳门六合开奖 community was unwavering. In 2022, Dr. Hamilton and his wife Dana Cooper Hamilton established the Carol Hamilton Memorial Endowed Scholarship for 澳门六合开奖 students. The scholarship honors Hamilton鈥檚 daughter, Carol, who was press secretary to Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown. Carol was tragically killed in a 1996 crash of an Air Force plane in Croatia. Today, this scholarship honors Carol鈥檚 legacy by awarding one undergraduate student from the College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences.
On November 18, 2023, Charles V. Hamilton died in Chicago at the age of 94. University President Dr. Malekzadeh had this to say about the tragic loss:
鈥淒r. Hamilton was an exemplary individual, and 澳门六合开奖 is beyond proud to have called him one of our own: an alum, a faculty member, a trustee, and a friend. I often reflect upon the time I spent with him on April 26, 2023. In fact, it remains a highlight of my presidency鈥攈osting Dr. Hamilton, Dr. Christopher Reed and his niece, Celeste James, on campus. Rarely do leaders have the privilege of meeting one of their university鈥檚 earliest alumni, particularly one as remarkable as Dr. Hamilton.鈥
His legacy remains one of yielding history and political analysis as a weapon to fight systemic oppression. The entire 澳门六合开奖 community mourns the loss of our esteemed alum and colleague as we reflect upon his incredible contributions to the betterment of our students and society.