With the advice and consent of the Executive Committee, the President appoints the Chairperson. The committee is responsible for maintaining a current membership roster and spearheading membership drives. The committee prepares membership information to be posted and/or distributed on the ABS website and Facebook and helps market the ABS journal.

Interested in joining the membership committee and strengthening and supporting our mighty number? Write to Mary.

Chair, Mary Pattillo, Northwestern University

This committee develops the conference theme; puts together special sessions, including organizing the opening and closing plenaries and Awards Luncheon; fundraises for the conference; and increases conference participation by engaging past, existing, and potential ABS members.

Want to join the 2021 Annual Conference committee? Write to the Committee.

This committee is responsible for organizing professional development sessions during the Annual Conference and supporting professional development at all levels, student to practitioner to contingent faculty to tenured faculty, throughout the year.

Want to join the Professional Development committee? Write to Joey.

Chair, Joey D. Brown, University of Maryland

This committee spearheads the selection process of annual award recipients for the Joseph Sandy Himes Award for Lifetime Scholarship; A. Wade Smith Award for Teaching, Mentorship, and Service; James E. Blackwell Founders Award; and, Jacquelyn Johnson Jackson Early Career Scholar Award. The committee is responsible for soliciting nominees, evaluating candidates and selecting recipients. Evaluation and selection typically occurs in the spring.

Want to help recognize our organization’s outstanding servant-scholars? Write to Jean.

Chair, Jean Beaman, Purdue University

This committee spearheads the selection process for the annual Devon T. Wade student paper awards competition. Submissions are open to undergraduate and graduate students. Paper nominations are due by June 1st (self-nominations are accepted). 

Want to help recognize dynamic and promising student scholarship? Write to Saida.

Chair, Saida Grundy, Boston University

This committee is responsible for recruiting and orienting leaders for the organization’s elected positions.

Interested in serving on the Nominations Committee? Write to Joey.

Chair, Joey D. Brown, University of Maryland

This committee spearheads the creation of policy reports, policy initiatives, and public position statements for the organization, ensuring the perspectives of black sociologists are a part of and responsive to the public discourse.

Want to help shape the organization’s policy positions? Write to Tina.

Chair, Tina Wright, Los Angeles Southwest College

This ad-hoc committee helps maintain the organization’s institutional history and participates in selected projects as agreed upon by both the Council members and the Executive Committee.

Are you a long-time ABSer or former Executive Committee member and want to preserve the organization’s institutional memory and advise on new initiatives? Write to Marcus.

Chair, Marcus Anthony Hunter, UCLA