Tommy L Lott

Tommy L Lott serves as Professor of Philosophy within the Philosophy Department at San José State University's College of Humanities and the Arts. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles (1980) and maintains active contact via tommy.lott@sjsu.edu and (408) 924-4525.

His academic foundation:

• Doctor of Philosophy, University of California, Los Angeles, 1980

Lott's research centers on the philosophical deconstruction of race concepts, African American intellectual traditions, and social justice frameworks. His work critically engages with W.E.B. Du Bois' and Alain Locke's theories while examining intersections of race with cultural production, artistic expression, and political resistance. Key contributions span metaphilosophical analysis of African-American thought, historical studies of racial formation, and contemporary critiques of representation in art and media.

Publications from 1995-2003 reveal consistent thematic focus: race ontology appears across 4 books including 'The idea of race' (2000), cultural critique structures 'The invention of race' (1999), and interdisciplinary explorations connect jazz avant-garde movements to philosophical inquiry in 'The 1960s Avant-Garde movement in Jazz' (2001). His scholarship demonstrates methodological fusion of historical analysis, conceptual philosophy, and cultural criticism.