Cunningham’s research is focused on the scope, organization and legacy of racial contention, and is supported by the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation and the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation. His past work centers on the Ku Klux Klan, in particular the complex roles that the klan played in various communities throughout the 1960s and the enduring impacts of KKK activity on contemporary voting patterns and crime rates.
David Cunningham
Professor of Sociology
Contact Information
- Phone: 314-935-4741
- Email: david.cunningham@wustl.edu
- Website: Website
Media Contact
In the media
What History Tells Us About The Mobilization Of Hate Groups In The U.S.
David Cunningham, professor of sociology
St. Louis Map Project Reveals Different Views Of City’s Past And Present
David Cunningham, professor of sociology
It shouldn’t be a surprise that African Americans are dying in St. Louis
Hedwig Lee and David Cunningham, professors of sociology
It shouldn’t be a surprise that African Americans are dying in St. Louis
When the nation begins to turn attention to repair in the wake of this latest crisis, it’s essential to face this history to heal communities and address the many injustices that perpetuate health and other disparities, write David Cunningham and Hedwig Lee.
Growth in US hate groups slows, hate crimes on the rise: Wash U professor
David Cunningham, professor of sociology
How Has the Ku Klux Klan Lasted so Long? The Inquiry
David Cunningham, professor of sociology
Using Confederate monument controversies in St. Louis and elsewhere as a teaching tool
David Cunningham, professor of sociology
How to combat the rise of ‘intellectual’ hate groups in the US
David Cunningham, professor of sociology
SPLC labels White Lives Matter a hate group: Why it matters
David Cunningham, professor of sociology
Op-ed: Five myths about the Ku Klux Klan
David Cunningham, professor of sociology
Stories
Lessons and cautions from 1965 to fight white supremacy
David Cunningham, chair of sociology at Washington University in St. Louis, says Biden’s administration can and should make every effort to defeat the rise of political extremism and white supremacy, but should also be aware of unintended consequences.
The first 100 Biden/Harris days
Faculty experts from across Washington University in St. Louis draw upon their research, their instruction, their experience and their thought leadership to proffer insight and ideas for the new administration, the new beginning.
It’s time for change
Three esteemed Arts & Sciences faculty members discuss the social movement against police brutality taking place across the nation and the world, and its implications for teaching, research and higher education.
Social networks enable hate movements, like boogaloo, to grow rapidly
David Cunningham, chair of sociology at Washington University in St. Louis and a nationally recognized expert on white supremacist groups, says that under the Trump administration, white supremacists feel a new license to act. The latest data from the Southern Poverty Law Center show a sharp increase in hate incidents since 2016.
Record expansion of U.S. hate groups slows under Trump administration
As President Donald Trump prepares to offer his first State of the Union address, a new analysis by a Washington University in St. Louis sociologist may explain why the pronounced, decades-long expansion of U.S.-based hate groups has slowed to a crawl during the first year of his administration.
Symposium explores the rise of Donald Trump, March 9
“American Democracy and the Rise of Donald Trump” will be the focus as faculty experts in history, political science, sociology, law, economics and psychology gather for a public symposium from 1-4 p.m. Thursday, March 9, in Room 100 of Brown Hall, on the Danforth Campus of Washington University in St. Louis.