Jason Riley on the legacy of Thomas Sowell and its importance to our future

The Invisible Men

In this episode, Ian and Nique are joined by Jason Riley — a prolific columnist at the Wall Street Journal, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and author of the forthcoming book “Maverick: A Biography of Thomas Sowell,” which is now available on Amazon. Jason discusses the work and legacy of Thomas Sowell, an economist and public intellectual whose research has unearthed the cultural and behavioral characteristics that can engender the uplift of a new generation of vulnerable Americans. It was encountering Sowell’s work in college that launched Jason on the path toward developing his current framework for understanding issues of economics and race. Jason laments the fact that Sowell’s work has not been celebrated in the public eye as much as scholars who are far his intellectual inferiors, and he notes the importance of ushering in a new generation of young academics to follow in Sowell’s tradition. With conversations on critical race theory, reparations, and affirmative action receiving renewed national attention, Sowell’s framework for understanding the behavioral and cultural determinates of human capital development is more important to our national health than ever. Tune in to the full episode to learn more about Jason’s journey toward being Sowell’s biographer and hear his words of advice for “Darryl.”