William M. Harris, Sr.
- MIT Sponsors:
As an academic and professional planner, I am committed during my lifetime to participating in the primary (first order of magnitude) challenge to this nation in the twenty-first century…rebuilding our urban core cities.
Background
William M. Harris, Sr. is a professor of planning in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Jackson State University. Harris holds a BS in physics from Howard University and master’s and doctorate degrees in urban planning from the University of Washington.
Interests
Harris conducts research in inner city African-American economic development, citizen empowerment, planning theory, and professional ethics. When asked what motivated his research at MIT, Harris identified “rebuilding our urban core cities,” “a dedication to giving attention and effort to those most needing and deserving competent intervention in our socioeconomic system…oppressed African Americans who live in the inner cities and rural areas of the nation,” and a desire to “take the courage to confront the barriers and behaviors that limit the full development of people who lack the human and tactical resources to compete favorably in a complex, often hostile environment” as key factors.
As an MLK scholar, Harris was hosted by the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, where he taught a course on planning theory and professional ethics.
