​Earl Smith, PhD, is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of American Ethnic Studies and Sociology at Wake Forest University. Dr. Smith earned his Ph.D. at the University of Connecticut. He is an adjunct in the Associate of Arts Program at the University of Delaware. His teaching and research focus on the sociology of sport, social stratification, criminal justice, and race. He is the author of 12 books, including his most recent book, Gender, Power and Violence (2019), and Policing Black Bodies (2018) as well as dozens of book chapters and peer-reviewed articles.  He has written several books on the impact of social inequality on Black families.  His book Race, Sport and the American Dream, which has been published in three editions, remains the only book on the market that examines structural racism in SportsWorld. On a regular basis he is consulted as an expert by the New York Times, USA Today, and a variety of other news outlets.  He teaches courses on social stratification, race and ethnicity, social problems, race and gender, and sexuality and the sociology of sports.