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The A. Wade Smith Memorial Lecture on Race Relations was created in 1995 to perpetuate the work of a man who had devoted his life to the idea of racial parity. As professor and chair of sociology at Arizona State University, A. Wade Smith worked tirelessly to improve race relations on the ASU campus and within the greater community.

When he died from cancer at the age of 43, his wife, family members and friends made memorial gifts to establish and fund this lecture series. The 2022 lecture marks the 76th anniversary of the lecture series.