SOCIOLOGY OFFERS NEW COURSE, "THE LAST LECTURES"

A new course is launching on campus in spring 2026, with a goal of engaging students in the work of famed Berkeley sociologist and civil rights icon Harry Edwards. For 30 years, Edwards captivated many students at UC Berkeley, where he developed the sociology of sport as a field of study. After retiring, he consulted for professional teams and crafted diversity programs.

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.”

Edwards 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 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. 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 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. To realize this vision, Prof. 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.