Contributions by Scholars of Color Interview Series: Highlights from Dr. Errol Henderson, Prof. of Political Science and International Relations
Errol A. Henderson is professor of political science specializing in international relations, US foreign policy, the analysis of war and peace, and African politics. In this interview, Dr. Henderson reflects on his upbringing, introduction to political science, and various challenges he faced in his career, and additionally shares advice for young scholars in the discipline.
“I was trained that there’s a tradition, there’s a Black tradition, a Black intellectual tradition that doesn’t separate activism from academic work.”
This interview was conducted by APSA’s Program Manager for DEI Programs, India Angelique Simmons, at the NCOBPS Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, California on March 15, 2024.
‣ Watch the full interview series on YouTube
As part of an ongoing series examining contributions of Scholars of Color, the APSA Diversity and Inclusion Department conducted a series of oral history interviews during the 2024 National Conference of Black Political Scientists (NCOBPS) Annual Meeting held in Los Angeles, California. This collection of interviews contributes to a continuous project that seeks to amplify the scholarship and contributions of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to the profession and investigate the history of race and racism in the political science profession. It further builds upon the APSA-Pi Sigma African American Alpha Oral History Project (1988-1994) and is motivated by the McClain Task Force on Systemic Inequality in the Discipline (2022). Each interview premiered at the 2024 APSA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and will be shown at the 2025 NCOBPS Annual Meeting.