Peter Skerry: Embracing Uncomfortable Campus Conversations

Higher Ed Now producer Doug Sprei interviews Peter Skerry, professor of political science at Boston College, who has served as a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He has been featured in a variety of scholarly and national media publications, and is the author of Counting on the Census: Race, Group Identity, and the Evasion of Politics (published by Brookings), and Mexican Americans: The Ambivalent Minority (published by Free Press/Harvard University Press), which was awarded the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. 

Sprei first encountered Professor Skerry while chairing a debate on immigration at the Braver Angels Convention at Carthage College in June, 2024. During that highly charged event, as he stood up to speak and address other speakers, it became apparent that he is deeply conversant with issues around immigration, a topic that has polarized and challenged society for decades. Professor Skerry is currently advising Braver Angels on framing constructive community dialogue around immigration. In this episode, he shares insights into why it has become such a weaponized topic in today's politics, and why educators should encourage students to embrace uncomfortable conversations around controversial issues.