Delmos Jones

Delmos J. Jones (1936–1999) was an African American anthropologist who devoted his intellectual career to working for social justice for all peoples. Delmos Jones identified with the political marginality and socioeconomic struggles of his subjects and sought ways to direct anthropological research toward the dismantling of oppression and inequality.

Jones is most remembered for his work on the ethics of basic research and his theoretical arguments concerning native anthropology. He was dissatisfied with the way theoretical paradigms, praxis, and outcomes in anthropological research were supportive of, or neutral to, oppressive ends. In the place of these practices and outcomes, he envisioned a praxis strongly committed to the goals of justice and equality for oppressed populations. His research interests ranged from the Lahu—a hill tribe in Northern Thailand—to the Australian Aborigines, to community organizing among poor people in the United States, but he focused throughout on problems of inequality and the rights of oppressed groups. Jones died of cancer on February 3, 1999, at his home in East Durham, NY.

Early life and education Jones was born in 1936 to sharecroppers on a farm near the small town of Browns, Alabama, twenty miles west of Selma. He was the fourth of five children, all picking cotton and working on the farm. The family lived a modest rural life and relocated as needed to find work. Jones's father worked off season to fill the gaps. The family moved around the South and traveled as far as California. He had been only marginally involved in these groups, which included the Junior Youth League, the San Francisco Writers Workshop, and the Youth Recorder, and had not participated in any subversive activities. However, the hysteria surrounding McCarthyism meant that the armed forces would not tolerate anyone in its ranks having even the slightest connections to left-leaning ideas or individuals. Applied Anthropology and the Application of Anthropological Knowledge 1976-10-01, Vol.35 (3), p. 221-229. "The community and organizations in the community." "The culture of achievement among the poor: the case of mothers and children in a Head Start Program." Critique of Anthropology13(3):247-266; "Epilogue."