Larry S. Perry, II joined UT in fall 2020 as an assistant professor in the Department of Religious Studies and Africana Studies program. Professor Perry focuses on the history of the American religious left, its thoughts, thinkers, politics, practice, and its intersection (or lack thereof) with racial justice in the US. Perry’s current book project is titled A Black Spiritual Leftist: Howard Thurman and the Religious Left’s Unfinished Business of Race Relations. In the past, Perry has served as a fellow at the Center for American Progress’ Leadership Institute and as a contributor on CSPAN.