John Thomas III
Department of Political Science
University of Chicago
938 W Oakdale Avenue #2N Chicago, IL 60657
Phone: 615-483-6812/ Fax (773) 702-1689/ Email: jthomas3@uchicago.edu
EDUCATION
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Doctor of Philosophy., Political Science, 2020 (expected)
Dissertation: “Black Politics in Peru and Ecuador, 1980-2016”
Committee: Michael Dawson (chair), Michael Albertus and Tianna Paschel
Subfields: Comparative Politics, American Politics and Methodology
Master of Arts, Political Science, 2009 (Thesis: “Theorizing Afro-Latino Social Movements: The
Peruvian Case”)
Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton, NJ
Master of Public Affairs, Development Studies (Qualified with Distinction), 2007
(Junior Summer Institute—Public Policy and International Affairs, 2003)
Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA
Bachelor of Arts, (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) International Studies & Spanish (minors in
Economics and Political Science), 2004
Study abroad at:
Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain (2002-2003)
Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, Santiago, Dominican Republic
(Summer 2001)
GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
External
National Conference of Black Political Scientists Student (NCOBPS) Founders Symposium
(2013)
TIAA-CREF Ruth Simms Hamilton Fellowship (2011-2012)
US Department of Education Foreign Language Area Studies Academic Year Fellowship
(FLAS/Title VI) (2009-2010; Portuguese)
US Department of Education Foreign Language Area Studies Summer Fellowship
(FLAS/Title VI) (2009; Portuguese)
Ford Foundation National Academies Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Honorable Mention (2008,
2009)
American Political Science Association (APSA) Minority Fellow (2007)
Senator J. William Fulbright (IIE) U.S. Student Fellowship (2004-2005; Peru)
Terrence L. Todman Foreign Service Book Award (2004)
Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Fellowship (2003)
Internal
University of Chicago
Social Science Division Research Grant (2015)
Office of Multicultural Student Affairs Academic Support Grant (2008, 2014)
Social Sciences Division Summer Research Grant (2013)
Center for Latin American Studies Summer Research Grant (2009, 2010)
Tinker Summer Research Grant (2008)
Social Sciences Fellowship (2007-2012)
Princeton University
Sir Arthur Lewis Summer Fellowship (2006)
Morehouse College
Charles E. Merrill Study Abroad Scholar (2002-2003)
Presidential Scholarship (2000-2004)
PUBLICATIONS
Peer-reviewed
Eshe Lewis and John Thomas III. 2019. “Me Gritaron Negra”: The emergence and development of
the Afro-descendant women’s movement in Peru (1980-2015). Journal of International Women’s Studies,
20(8), 18-39.
Conference Proceedings
John Thomas III. Forthcoming. “Interpretando el ser político afroperuano a través del Censo 2017.”
In Los Afrodescendientes en las Américas: 200 años de Vida Republicana, Ciudadanías Incompletas. Lima:
CEDET, Centro de Desarrollo Étnico.
John Thomas III. 2013. “Etnicidad y nacionalismo en estados multiétnicos desde la perspectiva
negra en América Latina.” In Presencia y persistencia: paradigmas culturales de los afrodescendiente., Caja
negra; eds. Lilia Mayorga Balcázar and Margarita Ramírez Mazzetti. Lima: Centro de Desarrollo
Étnicos – CEDET.
John Thomas III. 2010. “El movimiento hacia los derechos civiles de la población afrodescendiente
en los Estados Unidos.” In La libertad inconclusa: entorno a la esclavitud, su abolición y los derechos civiles.,
Serie Caja negra; ed. CEDET. Lima: CEDET, Centro de Desarrollo Étnico.
Non peer-reviewed
John Thomas III. 2020. “Reflexiones sobre el coronavirus y la diáspora africana: lo que sabemos y lo
que podemos imaginar.” D’Cimarron, 5. Retrieved 28 April 2020, from
http://dcimarron.org/index.php/politica/29-seccion-politica-d-cimarron-5/151-reflexiones-sobre-
el-coronavirus-y-la-diaspora-africana-lo-que-sabemos-y-lo-que-podemos-imaginar.
John Thomas III 2011. Diagnóstico del Contexto de las poblaciones afroperuanas. Inter-American
Development Bank: Washington, DC.
John Thomas III. 2010. “Forging Links: An Analysis of the Relationship Between Black and
Latino/Hispanic Theology” in AME Review, Vol. CXXVI, No. 417, pp. 83-100
WORKING PAPERS:
John Thomas III “Public Policy and Black Politics in Peru and Ecuador, 1980-2016”
John Thomas III “The 2017 Census and the Afro-Peruvian Population: Points of Departure”
John Thomas III. “La evolución del Movimiento Negro Francisco Congo: una perspectiva teorética.”
INVITED TALKS AND CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Invited Talks
“Las elecciones 2016 y el pueblo afroestadounidense: algunas refleciones”. Presented at the
Coloquio Universitario of the Universidad Técnica Luis Vargas Torres, Esmeraldas, Ecuador
(November 2016).
“Theorizing Afro-Latino Social Movements: The Peruvian Case”. Presented at the Chicago State
University Social Science Colloquium, Chicago, Illinois (April 2009)
“Stony the Road We Trod: Reflections on African American History”, Universidad de Lima
Teachers Seminar, Lima, Peru (February 2007)
“Afro-Peruvian NGOs”, US Embassy Briefing, Lima, Peru, (February 2007)
“Cousins: African descendants in Peru and the United States”, Peruvian-American Institute of
Cultural Affairs (Black History Month keynote address), Lima, Peru (February 2007)
“African-Americans and Afro-Latinos”, The African Diaspora in Chile, Latina America and the
Caribbean UNESCO Seminar, Arica, Chile (September 2004)
“Don’t tire: The African-American Civil Rights Movement in the United States”, First Seminar on
Slavery in Latin America and the Caribbean, Lima, Peru (August 2004)
Conference Presentations
“Me Gritaron Negra: The emergence and development of the Afro-descendant women’s movement
in Peru.” Paper presented at the Latin American Studies Association, Barcelona, Spain (May 2017).
“Me Gritaron Negra: The emergence and development of the Afro-descendant women’s movement
in Peru.” Paper presented at the Latin American Studies Association, San Juan, Puerto Rico (May
2015).
“Evolution and Progress of the Afro-Peruvian Social Movement”. Paper presented at the Southern
Political Science Association, New Orleans, Louisiana (January 2015)
“Theorizing Afro-Latino Social Movements: The Peruvian Case”. Paper presented at the Midwest
Political Science Association, Chicago, Illinois (April 2010)
Panelist, “Afro-Peruvians and Human Rights”, CEDET Book Conference, Lima (August 2008)
Organizer, “First Afro-descendent Legislative Empowerment Workshop”, La Ceiba, Honduras
(March 2007)
Attendee, First Afro-Peruvian Congress, Lima Peru (November 27-December 1, 2004)
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
University of Chicago
Teaching Consultant Fall 2019-Spring 2020
Engaged in classroom observation and assessment of student learning by conducting Individual
Teaching Consultations and Mid-Course Reviews for other graduate student teachers.
Preceptor (Instructor)
BA Seminar in Public Policy Fall 2014-Spring 2015
12 seniors in the Public Policy Program with various majors in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and
Natural Sciences. Selected Responsibilities included:
o Teaching a semester-length course on research methods and thesis.
o Supervising the writing process from topic selection to final drafts.
o Helping to organize a one-day undergraduate research symposium where students from
my section were grouped into panels and presented their work with students from
sections in the Public Policy Program.
Teaching Assistant
Economics and Public Policy (Jim Leitzel) Spring 2014
122 undergraduate students enrolled, ranging from freshman to juniors in the Public Policy Program
with various majors in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences.
o Graded problem sets, short papers and exams.
Attentat! Modern Theories of Political Violence (Bernard Silberman) Winter 2013
60 undergraduate students enrolled, ranging from sophomores to seniors with various majors in the
Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences.
o Served as Lead Teaching Assistant to organize the division of labor of grading and
compiling course grades for review from other Teaching Assistants.
Organizations, Ideology and Political Change (Bernard Silberman) Autumn 2011
74 undergraduate students enrolled, ranging from sophomores to seniors with various majors in the
Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences.
o Graded short papers and exams.
To Hell With The Enlightenment (Bernard Silberman) Winter 2010
30 undergraduate students enrolled, ranging from sophomores to seniors with various majors in the
Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences.
o Graded short papers and exams.
Introduction to International Relations (Charles Lipson) Fall 2010, 2012 and 2013
50 undergraduate students per section ranging from freshman to juniors with various majors in the
Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. In 2012, I was assigned two sections. Selected
responsibilities included:
o Leading weekly sections reviewing material from the lectures and expanding on
concepts introduced in the readings.
o Designing and grading the mid-term and final exams.
o Holding a review session at the end of the quarter to help students prepare for the
final exam.
Chicago State University
Lecturer
Independent Study in Political Science Spring 2009, Fall 2009, 2010 and 2012
5 students ranging from freshman to seniors with various majors in the Humanities, Social Sciences,
and Natural Sciences. Selected responsibilities included:
o Designing and leading the entire course including a selection of weekly readings.
o Designing and grading various weekly assignments and the final course project.
o Accompanying students as Assistant Coach to represent the institution at academic
competitions throughout the United States including the Honda Campus All-Star
Challenge.
PEDAGOGICAL TRAINING
University of Chicago, Chicago Center for Teaching. Chicago, IL
College Teaching Certificate (Spring 2019)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
The Christian Recorder, Nashville, Tennessee
Editor August 2016-present
Authored periodic editorials on issues of concern to the constituency of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church and its broader community
Directed the content, layout and tone of the monthly publication in conjunction with AME
Church Publishing House
The World Methodist Council, Lake Junaluska, North Carolina August 2011-August 2016
Coordinator of Youth and Young Adults
Constructed global Youth and Young Adult Methodist network connecting national and
regional youth and young adult organizations in 132 countries
Implemented youth and young adult programs as planned by the Council’s Youth and
Young Adult Committee including: “Methodist Campaign against Human Trafficking” and
the “International Methodist Young Leaders Seminar”
Administered WMC website and implemented social media communication strategy
The Inter-American Development Bank, Lima, Peru September 2010-March 2011
Short-term consultant contracted to conduct a survey of Afro-Peruvian Communities and Organizations
Conducted research, interviews, and spent one month in Lima to meet with Afro-Peruvian
community leaders, development professionals, and governmental officials
Drafted a comprehensive report in Spanish and English for agency-wide and academic use
The Millennium Challenge Corporation, Princeton, NJ and Tegucigalpa, Honduras Fall 2006
Member of eight-person workshop examining the administrative capacity of recipient government Project
Implementation Units (PIU) and agencies during the implementation of their compacts in Honduras, Cape Verde,
Georgia and Armenia
Conducted research, interviews, and spent one week in Tegucigalpa, Honduras to meet with
senior MCC-Honduras staff, government officials in the Ministry of Finance, USAID and
Inter-American Bank of Development officials, and non-governmental leaders.
Recommended guidelines for the improvement of administrative capacity for existing MCC
PIUs as well as metrics for evaluating administrative capacity for prospective MCC compact
countries
The World Bank, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Short-Term No Fee Consultant Summer 2006
Designed the Terms of Reference for the Mid-Term Evaluation of the $62 million World
Bank-financed Early Childhood Development (ECD) Project in the Dominican Republic to
be jointly conducted with the World Bank and the Dominican government in Spring 2007
Interviewed senior National Police Officials and conducted statistical data compilation and
analysis for the Dominican Republic section of the World Bank’s Caribbean Youth and
Violence Study
Centro de Desarrollo Étnico, Lima, Peru
Grassroots organization for Afro-Peruvian advocacy and engagement in the Peruvian political system
Intern 2004-2005
Researched prospective donors and translated project proposals from Spanish to English,
creating to the creation of a databank used by members of the Afro-Peruvian forum
Conducted a series of seminars for Makungu youth group addressing African history and
cultural identity in the African Diaspora
African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, Washington, DC
Missionary (Dominican Republic) Summer 2002
Consultant to Bishop of the 16th Episcopal District (Dominican Republic) 2004-2009
Performed bilateral translation of pertinent church documents in Spanish and English
providing increased information interchange and assisting in the creation of the first AME
Pastor’s guide in Spanish (150 pages)
Set up a Committee to Translate the 2008 Book of Discipline of the AME Church with a
completion date of December 2009
Assisted in planning an instructional visit by the Bishop of the 16 th District through
coordinating hotel and lodging logistics between in-country Church personnel as well as translating an instructional agenda for 3000 members distributed in 6 teaching sites across the country
UNIVERSITY SERVICE
Web Manager, Section on Race, Ethnicity and Politics of the American Political Science
Society (APSA) (2012-2018)
Panelist, Graduate Student Orientation, University of Chicago Office of Multicultural
Student Affairs (2009)
Assistant Coach, Chicago State University Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Academic
Team (2009-10; 2012)
General Co-Chair, Princeton University Woodrow Wilson School Action Committee
(WWAC) (2006-2007)
Co-Chair, Evaluations Committee, Student/Alumni of Color Symposium, Woodrow Wilson
School (2005)
Assistant Editor, Journal of Public and International Affairs (JPIA) (2005-2006)
LANGUAGES
Fluent in Spanish. Advanced Portuguese proficiency.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Political Science Association (Comparative Politics and Race, Ethnicity and
Politics Sections)
Latin American Studies Association (Ethnicity, Race and Indigenous Peoples Section and
Peru Sections)
National Conference of Black Political Scientists
Associated Church Press (Board Member, 2019-present)
FIELDWORK EXPERIENCE
Peru (1 year, 8 months
Ecuador (6 months)
Chile (3 weeks)
REFERENCES
Michael C. Dawson, PhD. (Chair)
Professor
Department of Political Science
University of Chicago
5828 S. University Avenue, Pick Hall 419
Chicago, IL 60637
773 702 8932
mc-dawson@uchicago.edu
Michael Albertus, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Political Science
University of Chicago
5828 S. University Avenue, Pick Hall 417
Chicago, IL 60637
albertus@uchicago.edu
Tianna S. Paschel, PhD
Associate Professor
UC Berkeley Sociology Department
410 Barrows Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720
(510) 642-4766
tpaschel@berkeley.edu
Bernard T. Rowan, III, PhD
Associate Provost, Contract Administration
Chicago State University
9501 S. King Drive Chicago, IL 60628
773.995.2000
trowanii@csu.edu