Gerald D. Jaynes is a professor of economics and of African American studies at Yale University. He is recognized as an expert on race relations and the economic conditions of African Americans. He is the author of numerous books, including “A Common Destiny: Blacks and American Society,” “Branches Without Roots: Genesis of the Black Working Class in the American South,” “Immigration and Race: New Challenges for American Democracy” and “The Encyclopedia of African American Society.” Jaynes is currently engaged with book projects examining the effects of economic decline on the social and cultural conditions and identities of working class Americans.