Jonathan Rieder

Jonathan Rieder is Professor of Sociology at Barnard College and Columbia University, where he has been a faculty member since 1990. He previously taught at Yale University and Swarthmore College. His academic work spans the fields of sociology, American studies, and human rights, with a focus on race, culture, and politics in the United States.

Education:

• BA, Harvard University
• PhD, Yale University

Research Interests: Rieder specializes in the sociology of culture, racial conflict, music and identity, and the civil rights movement. He is a leading expert on Martin Luther King Jr., known for his deep textual and cultural analysis of King’s speeches and writings, particularly the 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' and the 'I Have a Dream' speech. His work explores how race, religion, and performance intersect in American public life.

Publications and Media Engagement: His most recent books—Gospel of Freedom (2013) and The Word of the Lord is Upon Me (2008)—have received widespread critical acclaim and have been reviewed in major outlets. He has published commentary in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. He has appeared on NPR, CNN, the BBC, and the History Channel, and has spoken at institutions such as the Carter Center and Harvard University.

Scientific Awards and Fellowships:

• Fellow, John Simon Guggenheim Foundation
• Fellow, National Endowment for the Humanities
• Fellow, Wilson Center for Historical Studies
• Fellow, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton
• Fellow, Du Bois Institute at Harvard
• Fellow, Russell Sage Foundation
• Fellow, Aspen Institute for Humanities

Advising and Public Scholarship: Rieder was founding co-editor of CommonQuest: The Magazine of Black-Jewish Relations. He has served as a regular reviewer for The New York Times Sunday Book Review and as a contributing editor at The New Republic, where he covered volatile racial conflicts in New York City. He is currently working on a book based on six years of fieldwork in Alabama, titled Bittersweet Home Alabama.

Labs and Research Initiatives: While no formal lab is mentioned, Rieder’s research is deeply interdisciplinary, involving ethnographic fieldwork, archival analysis, and public engagement through lectures, media appearances, and documentary contributions. His work bridges academic scholarship and public discourse on race, justice, and American identity.