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Jean Hardisty

Founder and President Emerita
Political Research Associates (PRA)

On January 25, 2005, the Fellows had an opportunity to speak with Jean Hardisty, Founder and President Emerita of Political Research Associates (PRA). Much of the discussion centered on her book examining the origins and resurgence of the right and its dominance today. PRA is a Boston-based research center that analyzes right-wing authoritarian and anti-democratic trends and publishes educational materials for the general public. A political scientist with a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, Dr. Hardisty left academia after eight years of teaching and researching conservative political thought to establish PRA in response to the emergence of the New Right in 1981. Now in its 23rd year, PRA is nationally known for its extensive collection of primary and secondary resources on the Right, its accurate and accessible analysis, and its role as advisor on researching and opposing the Right. Dr. Hardisty is a widely published author and has been an activist for social justice issues, especially women's rights and civil rights, for three decades. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Center for Community Change, the Highlander Research and Education Center, and The Women's Community Cancer Project. Her book, titled Mobilizing Resentment: Conservative Resurgence from the John Birch Society to the Promise Keepers, was published by Beacon Press in October 1999 and is now available in paperback.

The information listed above was provided at the time of the speaker's visit and may no longer be current.