David Theo Goldberg

David Theo Goldberg (born January 8, 1952) is a South-African-born professor active in the United States, known for his work in critical race theory, and in more recent years, in the digital humanities.

Goldberg was born and raised in South Africa, and earned degrees in law and economics from the University of Cape Town. Moving to the United States, he earned a PhD in philosophy from the City University of New York in 1985. After completing his PhD, he started a film and music-video production company; among other things, it produced the music video for Kurtis Blow's Basketball.^[1]

Goldberg returned to academia in 1987. From 1990 to 2000, he was professor at Arizona State University, where he directed the School of Justice Studies from 1995 to 2000. Since 2000, he has been director of the University of California Humanities Research Institute.^[1] He is also Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of California, Irvine.^[2]

Research and projects

Goldberg is a leading scholar of critical race theory and has delivered invited lectures on this subject at universities across the world (listen to a KPFA interview). His work is the subject of "On the State of Race Theory: A Conversation with David Theo Goldberg".^[3] Goldberg's extensive research ranges over issues of political theory, race and racism, ethics, law and society, critical theory, cultural studies and, increasingly, digital humanities.

He initiated the University of California (UC) Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Technology Council, a system-wide committee reporting to the UC Office of the President. He also serves on the UC-wide committee overseeing stewardship of research information and data (including libraries and digital libraries) for the university system.

Together with Cathy Davidson of Duke University, Goldberg founded the Humanities, Arts, Science and Technology Advanced Collaboratory (HASTAC) to advance partnerships between the human sciences, arts, social sciences and technology and supercomputing interests for advancing research, teaching and public outreach. Davidson and Goldberg have published essays promoting the creative and dynamic use of digital technologies to advance research, teaching and learning in the humanities, arts, and social sciences.^[4] They co-direct the HASTAC-MacArthur Digital Media and Learning Competition, an annual international contest awarding up to $2m per year to promote transformative learning practices through the application of digital technology.^[5] In addition, he is the executive director of the Digital Media and Learning Hub.^[6]

Books and publications

Goldberg has authored a number of books, including The Threat of Race (2008); The Racial State (2002); Racial Subjects: Writing on Race in America (1997); Racist Culture: Philosophy and the Politics of Meaning (1993); and Ethical Theory and Social Issues: Historical Texts and Contemporary Readings (1989/1995).

He has edited or co-edited several collections, including Anatomy of Racism (1990) and Multiculturalism: A Critical Reader (1995) and is the founding co-editor of Social Identities: Journal for the Study of Race, Nation and Culture.

Goldberg is also the creator of the online digital project Blue Velvet: Re-Dressing New Orleans in Katrina's Wake, an interactive look at the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the city of New Orleans based on his article "Deva-stating Disasters: Race in the Shadow(s) of New Orleans."^[7]

References

External links

UC Irvine faculty profile

• Contemporary Racisms: David Theo Goldberg and Paul Gilroy [video] (2007) - darkmatter Journal
• Threat of Race website
• Blue Velvet website