Joel Olson (1967–2012) was an American associate professor of

political theory Political philosophy studies the theoretical and conceptual foundations of politics. It examines the nature, scope, and legitimacy of political institutions, such as states. This field investigates different forms of government, ranging from d ...

Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1899, it was the third and final university established in the Arizona Territory. It is one of the three universities gove ...

in Flagstaff and a

social justice Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...

activist.

Biography

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

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

. Inspired by the work of

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...

s and

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

Sociologist

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

, his dissertation examined the interconnection between race and

democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...

. From his dissertation, he published his book '' The Abolition of White Democracy'' (2004,

University of Minnesota Press The University of Minnesota Press is a university press that is part of the University of Minnesota. It had annual revenues of just over $8 million in fiscal year 2018. Founded in 1925, the University of Minnesota Press is best known for its book ...

). At the time of his death, he was building a theory of

fanaticism Fanaticism is a belief or behavior involving uncritical zeal or an obsessive enthusiasm. The political theorist Zachary R. Goldsmith provides a "cluster account" of the concept of fanaticism, identifying ten main attributes that, in various com ...

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 sha ...

that would explain the politics of

Pro-Life Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in response to the lega ...

assassins, abolitionists,

green anarchist The ''Green Anarchist'', established in 1984 in the UK, was a magazine advocating green anarchism. Early years Founded after the 1984 Stop the City protests, the magazine was launched in the summer of that year by an editorial collective c ...

s, and

Al-Qaeda , image = Flag of Jihad.svg , caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions , founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden , leaders = {{Plainlist, * Osama bin Lad ...

. 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, also known as door knocking or phone banking, is the systematic initiation of direct contact with individuals, commonly used during political campaigns. Canvassing can be done for many reasons: political campaigning, grassroot ...

, 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 usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

and those perceived to be immigrants in

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

. 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 research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. Nottingham's main campus (University Park Campus, Nottingh ...

in the United Kingdom in March 2012 whilst he was on an international teaching exchange with the

University of Alicante The University of Alicante (, ; , ; also known by the acronym ''UA'') was established in 1979 on the basis of the Center for University Studies (CEU), which was founded in 1968. The university main campus is located in San Vicente del Raspeig/San ...

. 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 microc ...

. 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.

Biography

References

Further reading