Dear friends and colleagues,
It is with great sadness that I write to you to share that Dean Larry Davis has passed away March 30. He was clearly a larger than life figure who led this school and the field in ways that brought together his personal experiences with his keen ability to think deeply and profoundly.
Dean Davis’s life and work had an incredible impact on so many people, and it is a true loss not only to his family, the University of Pittsburgh, and the School of Social Work, but to all of the scholars and community leaders whom he has inspired with his work that was dedicated to challenging racism in our society. He was a mentor to many young academics over the years, and has inspired the work of others throughout his career.
In addition to his numerous publications and lectures, he has left an enduring legacy with the Center on Race and Social Problems, which was a very personal endeavor for him. He was proud that the Center was the first race center ever to be housed in a school of social work, and brought in race scholars from across the country to share their race-related research. In 2010, the Center hosted the largest conference ever held on race in America.
His final book, Why Are They Angry with Us? Essays on Race, was a very intimate examination of his own experiences with race in America, and he was always willing to share stories from his own life to help teach others. When I arrived at Pitt, he and I discussed this book and its many fascinating chapters – it was truly a window into his perspective and understandings.
You can read more about Dean Davis’s extraordinary life and work on his School of Social Work webpage, you can also watch one of his last lectures, “Will Race Always Matter?,” given at the American Experience Distinguished Lecture Series at the Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law & Public Policy in September 2020.
For a closer look at his tenure as Dean of the School of Social Work, you can read the Summer 2018 issue of Bridges magazine.
We ask that you share with us your remembrances of Dean Davis and how he inspired or impacted your life by filling out this short form. The entries will be shared with his family and the entire School of Social Work community.
Please take care,
Betsy