Joel Olson (4 November 1967 – 29 March 2012) was an associate professor of

political theory Political philosophy or political theory is the philosophical study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and the relationships between them. Its topics include politics, l ...

Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona. It was founded in 1899 as the final public university established in the Arizona Territory, 13 years before Arizona was admitted as the 48th state. ...

in Flagstaff and a

social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...

activist.

Biography

Olson graduated in 2001 with a PhD in political theory from the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

. Inspired by the work of abolitionists and

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

Sociologist

W.E.B. Du Bois William Edward Burghardt Du Bois ( ; February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963) was an American-Ghanaian sociologist, socialist, historian, and Pan-Africanist civil rights activist. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in ...

, his dissertation examined the interconnection between race and

democracy Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...

. From his dissertation, he published his book '' The Abolition of White Democracy'' (2004, University of Minnesota Press). At the time of his death, he was building a theory of fanaticism or

extremism Extremism is "the quality or state of being extreme" or "the advocacy of extreme measures or views". The term is primarily used in a political or religious sense to refer to an ideology that is considered (by the speaker or by some implied share ...

that would explain the politics of Pro-Life assassins, abolitionists,

green anarchist Green anarchism (or eco-anarchism"green anarchism (also called eco-anarchism)" in ''An Anarchist FAQ'' by various authors.) is an anarchist school of thought that puts a particular emphasis on ecology and environmental issues. A green anarchist ...

s, and

Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...

. The work was titled ''American Zealot: Fanaticism and Democracy in the United States''. Although a university professor, Olson rejected intellectual-worker and activist-theorist divides, engaging in politics on the streets,

canvassing Canvassing is the systematic initiation of direct contact with individuals, commonly used during political campaigns. Canvassing can be done for many reasons: political campaigning, grassroots fundraising, community awareness, membership driv ...

, building community support. Over his life, he worked in and helped found groups like Bring the Ruckus, Cop Watch, and the Repeal Coalition. This latest effort was initiated in 2008 in response to an increased oppression of

immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...

and those perceived to be immigrants in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. The Repeal Coalition, co-founded by Olson and other members of the Flagstaff community, focuses on repealing all anti-immigration legislation and providing support for the immigrant community. As their web states, the group is "an organization committed to repealing over 60 anti-immigrant laws and bills that have been passed or considered by Arizona politicians in the past few years. We demand the repeal of all laws — federal, state, and local — that degrade and discriminate against undocumented individuals and that deny U.S. citizens their lawful rights." The following quote of Olson's was turned into a plaque on a memorial outdoor classroom between the buildings of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at NAU: "What is the most damage I can do, given my biography, abilities, and commitments, to the racial order and rule of capital?" Olson passed away the night after he gave a lecture at the

University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public university, public research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. The University of Nottingham belongs t ...

in the United Kingdom in March 2012 whilst he was on an international teaching exchange with the University of Alicante. His body was found in his room at the

Hugh Stewart Hall This is a list of halls of residence on the various campuses of the University of Nottingham in Nottingham, England. The University of Nottingham has a particularly well developed system of halls located on its campus. The halls acts a microco ...

. No serious health issues leading to the cause of death could be ascertained by the pathologist "other than natural causes." He and his wife Audrey Creed had three children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olson, Joel 1967 births 2012 deaths American political scientists Northern Arizona University faculty Academic staff of the University of Alicante People from Ypsilanti, Michigan University of Minnesota alumni