Thomas Sowell Research Paper

Thomas Sowell is a renowned author and economist and is best known for his conservative views on social and economic issues. A very polarizing man, Sowell opposes such programs as affirmative action, busing, racial quotas, minimum wage, and welfare. This is most surprising because Sowell himself is African American. He has taken criticism from liberals and a number of African American leaders, while receiving applause from fellow conservatives. Sowell is an advocate of the "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" philosophy, which encourages people to improve their positions by personal hard work and ambition, rather than government intervention. He believes that government initiatives meant to help and equalize opportunity for African Americans, has actually hurt their chances for equality. Sowell has written several books and periodicals that challenge the stereotypical ideas of equal rights linked with economic influence. A few examples of his writings include: Black Education: Myths and Tragedies, Race and Economics, and The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation as a Basis for Social Policy. Sowell believes in the connection between our social and political
After teaching at Rutgers and Howard universities, he held the title of assistant professor of economics at Cornell and the University of California, Los Angeles where he was given full professor status in 1974. In 1980, he moved to Stanford University which granted him the title of Senior Fellow at its Hoover Institution. Into the 1990s, his name was commonly seen in a weekly column for Forbes magazine and on his syndicated column appearing in newspapers nationwide. Nobel Prize winner Milton Friedman said, "The word 'genius' is thrown around so much that it's becoming meaningless, but nevertheless I think Tom Sowell is close to being one." This is high praise from such an accomplished