The establishment of justice is a first principle to a “more perfect union” in America’s democracy statement. Yet, our system provides latitude to determine the quality, degree, and beneficiaries of justice by relying on public sentiment. Race is the most prominent area of injustice in America, however, there is a continuing debate about its relevance, repairing past harms, and whether amelioration produces more injustice. This lecture will discuss how frustration with race produces more than racism, prejudice, and bias. It can create a resistance to progress on building a more perfect union among some in the population, while bolstering principles of justice among others. 

David C. Wilson is the Dean of the Goldman School and Professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. Wilson is co-author of Racial Resentment in the Political Mind (University of Chicago Press, 2022) and his research examines how individuals formulate their political preferences about race and justice, and how social cognition shapes broader survey response behaviors. Wilson’s academic specializations include survey research methods and experiments (psychology of survey response), political psychology, and American politics, with an emphasis on the measurement and analysis of intergroup attitudes and political behavior. He holds life memberships in several organizations including the American Political Science Association (APSA), the International Society for Political Psychology (ISPP), Midwest Political Science Association, Pi Alpha Alpha National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration, the National Conference of Black Political Scientists (NCOBPS), and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated.  

Prior to joining the Goldman School, Wilson was the senior associate dean for the social sciences in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Delaware and a full professor in the department of political science and international relations with a joint appointment in the department of psychological and brain sciences. Wilson has also held senior positions with the Gallup Polling Organization, leading national and international survey projects examining topics ranging from workplace creativity to prejudice in politics. He earned a BA in government from Western Kentucky University. He holds an MPA (public policy and administration), MA in political science, and a PhD in political science, all from Michigan State University. David Wilson is a military veteran with 19 years of service to the US Army Reserves, including combat tours for Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom.