David Cunningham

David Cunningham is a Professor and past Chair of Sociology at Washington University in St. Louis. He holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina. His research focuses on racial contention, organized white supremacist movements, and the legacies of historical violence. He has investigated FBI repression of social movements, Jim Crow segregation enforcement, and contested public memory sites like Confederate monuments. Cunningham currently serves as Chair-Elect of the American Sociological Association’s Collective Behavior and Social Movements Section.

His major works include Klansville, U.S.A. (2012) and There’s Something Happening Here (2004). He co-edited a special journal issue on racial violence legacies. His research is supported by the Mellon and James S. McDonnell Foundations. Cunningham has contributed to truth and reconciliation initiatives, including the St. Louis Reparations Commission and the Prison Education Project.

• Education: PhD, University of North Carolina
• Awards: 2019 Robin M. Williams Award
• Service: Member of City of St. Louis Reparations Commission, Board Member of Prison Education Project