Harry Edwards spoke to a packed room during a 2022 lecture series at UC Berkeley. Photo by Kelly Sullivan via Cal Athletics.
Edwards, now 83, is famous for some of the most iconic protests in sports history. In 1968, he inspired U.S. sprinters John Carlos and Tommie Smith to defiantly raise gloved fists in a Black Power salute on the Olympic medal stand. Decades later, Edwards counseled 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who stirred the nation by taking a knee during the national anthem. Edwards’ message of social justice isn’t limited to athletes, either — coaches, team owners, and league commissioners regularly turn to him for advice.
“Dr. Edwards wasn’t just a professor — he is a public intellectual and an activist figure who had this whole second career,” said David Harding, chair of the Department of Sociology. “He’s a dynamic lecturer, an amazing storyteller, and a model of how to combine intellectual scholarship with what we now call public sociology.”
Expanding the field
Edwards remains focused on what more he can bring to the table. He worked with a production company to film The Last Lectures, a 12-part series of Edwards speaking at San José State University. UC Berkeley’s Department of Sociology has incorporated those lectures in a new undergraduate course, “The Evolution and Impact of Sport in American Society: Lessons from the Last Lectures of Dr. Harry Edwards.”
“The Last Lectures are a contribution to a better understanding of where we have been, the point at which we are at, and the trajectory of where we’re headed, as a people and as a nation,” said Edwards.
The four-credit course will meet twice a week to watch Edwards’ recorded lectures and discuss the lessons as a group. Dr. Brian Bedford — a former student of Edwards’ who played for Cal football and led corporate and collegiate diversity initiatives — will serve as the course’s inaugural lecturer.
“Dr. Bedford was a great find,” said Harding. “He’s perfect in that he has this relationship with Dr. Edwards, he understands the intellectual and social importance of the project, and he’s an experienced professor with ties to Cal Athletics.”
Edwards covers a lot of ground in The Last Lectures. Stretching from the Civil War to the modern era, Edwards weaves a narrative that touches on segregation, boycotts, violence, religion, business, and mass media.
The iconic image of track and field Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists at the podium during the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Edwards said he is donating some personal items to enhance the course. He also convinced the National Football League Foundation to provide substantial funding so students at UC Berkeley and historically Black colleges and universities can access The Last Lectures.
The Department of Sociology is coordinating with the Athletic Study Center on logistics such as timing and graduation requirements so more student-athletes can take advantage of the course. If the undergraduate course is successful and the department hits its fundraising goals, it will adapt the course into a summer program for high school students.
“This course provides a framework for younger people to understand what’s happening in the world right now,” said Harding. “It’s not just about sports or history. It’s a way of thinking about the way society, power, and social change work. It’s a resource for learners at all life stages to make sense of American society and their place in it. It’s beyond a normal class. It’s about helping people see the connection between the past, the present, and themselves, and what they can do in the world.”
In 2024, the Division of Social Sciences gave its inaugural Social Science for the Public Good Award to Edwards. It later named the award after him. Now, the division hopes to maintain that recognition in perpetuity to honor members of its community who make an impact on society. Additionally, Berkeley sociologists want to establish a doctoral fellowship and an endowment in Edwards’ name.
“This course provides a framework for younger people to understand what’s happening in the world right now. It’s not just about sports or history. It’s a way of thinking about the way society, power, and social change work.” — David Harding, chair of the Department of Sociology.
Running new routes
To realize this vision, Harding partnered with Marsha Roberts, board president for the Cal Alumni Association (CAA).
As an undergraduate, Roberts wanted to take “The Sociology of Sport” but could never get into the class. It was too popular. Now, through the CAA, Roberts is helping to ensure Edwards’ lectures remain available for generations to come. The Cal Alumni Association has reached out to alumni asking them to donate to the Harry Edwards Last Lectures Fund in Sociology. Roberts has also joined Harding in meeting with foundations.
“To hear the impact that Dr. Edwards had on their lives is truly remarkable,” said Roberts. “Even though he is a towering figure who created the sociology of sport, he is a humble individual who truly cares about people and society as a whole. He is an integral part of the progress that has been made in the civil rights movement through his analysis of social behavior and his ability to clearly articulate human struggle through the lens of sports.”
Harding agreed. “We’ve heard so many stories of the impact that Dr. Edwards’ courses, his mentorship, and his leadership in the public domain have had on people.”
Edwards described The Last Lectures and its associated initiatives as “the final seeds thrown for development.”
“I hope that people will look at The Last Lectures long after I’m gone and say that was a contribution not only worth noting, but worth perpetuating,” said Edwards. “If that is an outcome of what we have done, then I’m satisfied.”
Read the full story posted on the College of Letters & Science website.
