NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will host a lecture by Dr. Derron Wallace, a renowned sociologist of race, ethnicity, and education.  

 

Wallace will present a book talk on his critically acclaimed work, "The Culture Trap: Ethnic Expectations and Unequal Schooling for Black Youth," on Monday, Oct. 28, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Murdock Hall, Room 218. This event is part of the Commonwealth Honors Program and Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work (SASW) Speaker Series. It is free and open to the public. 

 

Wallace is the Jacob S. Potofsky Chair in Sociology and Associate Professor of Sociology and Education at Brandeis University. His book, "The Culture Trap" (Oxford University Press, 2023), explores the complex ways in which cultural stereotypes and expectations contribute to the educational inequalities faced by Black youth in both national and international contexts. The book has garnered significant recognition, including the prestigious 2024 Pierre Bourdieu Award for Best Book in Sociology of Education and the 2024 Oliver Cromwell Cox Book Award from the American Sociological Association for its contributions to anti-racist scholarship. 

 

In addition to his authorship, Wallace is a distinguished scholar who has earned multiple accolades, including Distinguished Early Career Awards from the American Educational Research Association, the American Sociological Association, and the Comparative

and International Education Society. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, where he was a Marshall Scholar and a Gates Cambridge Scholar. His research, supported by grants from the Fulbright Commission, the Spencer Foundation, and other prestigious

institutions, reflects his deep commitment to issues of youth safety, immigrant rights, and public education. 

 

With experience as both a community organizer and a researcher, Wallace's work has been featured by BBC News, the Guardian, NBC News, and more.   

 

This event is also co-sponsored by MCLA courses including Institutional Equity and Belonging, Core Domains: First Year Seminar, Human Hertiage and Language Arts, Self & Society, and Capstone.