Rodney Coates

Professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at Miami University

Rodney D. Coates is an award-winning public sociologist focused on race, social justice, and social movements. He has led bias training nationwide, created programs advancing student success, authored influential scholarship, and is a frequent media commentator and published author.

Articles by Rodney Coates

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Juneteenth reminds us of Black Americans’ long struggle for education following end of slavery

Anti-literacy laws barred enslaved people from reading in most Southern states by 1834, yet within 15 years of emancipation, 59 HBCUs had opened across the country.

June 19, 2026

Juneteenth reminds us of Black Americans’ long struggle for education following end of slavery