Billy Hawkins, an associate professor in the College of Education’s kinesiology department, and Fritz G. Polite, a professor at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, have co-edited Sport, Race, Activism and Social Change: The Impact of Dr. Harry Edwards’ Scholarship and Service, a book that chronicles the contributions of the social activist, scholar and public servant over three decades.
Empowered by the civil rights movement and the creators of Black Power, Edwards emerged as a general in the fight for social justice, equality and human rights. As the architect of the Olympic Project for Human Rights, his activism targeted racial apartheid in the U.S. and in South Africa as well as the racial injustices occurring within the sphere of sport. His scholarship includes seminal pieces for scholars interested in race, sport, human rights and the discipline of sport sociology.