Sandra L. Barnes, a professor of human and organizational development at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development, with a joint appointment at Vanderbilt Divinity School, recently received the Cox-Johnson-Frazier Award from the American Sociological Association.
Awarded since 1971, the Cox-Johnson-Frazier Award is one of the annual honors given by the ASA to an individual for their work in the intellectual traditions of Oliver Cox, Charles S. Johnson and E. Franklin Frazier, three African American scholars. The three sociologists engaged in scholarship in service to social justice that emphasized the advancement of the status of disadvantaged populations nationally and globally. Their work also helped expand the scholarly canon about what is considered mainstream sociological research.
As an urban sociologist, Barnes’ research has historically focused on the adaptability and resiliency of poor and working-class individuals, providing counter-narratives to pervasive negative stereotypes. Her work is informed by a deep interest in the inequalities present in urban settings and the rich history of the Black Church.
Professor Barnes is the author of eight books, including Live Long and Prosper: How Black Megachurches Address HIV/AIDS and Poverty in the Age of Prosperity Theology (Fordham University Press, 2012).
Professor Barnes joined the faculty at Vanderbilt in 2008 after teaching at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Dr. Barnes is a graduate of Fisk University in Nashville. She holds a master’s degree in operations research from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in the sociology of religion from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, and a Ph.D. from Georgia State University.