Delmos Jones

Delmos J. Jones (1936-1999) was an African American anthropologist who devoted his intellectual career to working for social justice for all peoples. Delmos Jones identified with the political marginality and socioeconomic struggles of his subjects and sought ways to direct anthropological research toward the dismantling of oppression and inequality.

Jones is most remembered for his work on the ethics of basic research and his theoretical arguments concerning native anthropology. Jones was dissatisfied with the way theoretical paradigms, praxis, and outcomes in anthropological research were supportive of, or neutral to, oppressive ends. In the place of these practices and outcomes, he envisioned a praxis strongly committed to the goals of justice and equality for oppressed populations. His research interests ranged from the Lahu, a hill tribe in Northern Thailand, to the Australian Aborigines, to community organizing among poor people in the United States, but he focused throughout on problems of inequality and the rights of oppressed groups. Jones dies of cancer on February 3, 1999, at his home in East Durham, NY. Provided by Wikipedia