Melville Herskovits
Melville Herskovits · Philosophy & Social Sciences
Founder of African and African-American studies in anthropology, author of 'The Myth of the Negro Past'
1895, Bellefontaine, Ohio, United States — 1963, Evanston, Illinois, United States
United States · West Africa
Melville Herskovits is recognized among Jewish contributors to Philosophy & Social Sciences — Founder of African and African-American studies in anthropology, author of 'The Myth of the Negro Past'
Melville Herskovits founded the academic field of African studies in the United States and pioneered African American studies in anthropology. His book 'The Myth of the Negro Past' (1941) argued for the survival of African cultural traits in the Americas, challenging prevailing views. He was born to Jewish immigrant parents and initially trained for the rabbinate before turning to anthropology.
Verify and go deeper with these external references.
Source: Jinfo.org — Jews in Anthropology
This page is published in seven languages from an English source. The translations are reviewed, but a mistake can still slip through. If you spot one on this profile — a wrong word, a lost date, a sentence that says something the English does not — please tell us.
Founder of African and African-American studies in anthropology, author of 'The Myth of the Negro Past'
Source: Jinfo.org — Jews in Anthropology
Similar Contributors
Allan Bloom
Clifford Geertz
Felix S. Cohen
Franz Boas
Judith Laikin Elkin
