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About Your Council Member
Dr. Jason E. Shelton is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for African American Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington. His research interests concern the sociology of religion, as well as the intersections of race, class, and attitudes about various political and social issues in contemporary America. Dr. Shelton’s articles have appeared in Social Science Quarterly, Du Bois Review, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Sociological Perspectives, Journal of African American Studies, American Behavioral Scientist, and other respected publications. New York University Press published his first book, Blacks and Whites in Christian America: How Racial Discrimination Shapes Religious Convictions, which won a major award sponsored by the Southern Conference on African American Studies and an “honorable mention” for the 2012 Distinguished Book Award sponsored by the American Sociological Association’s Section on the Sociology of Religion. NYU Press also published his second book, The Contemporary Black Church: The New Dynamics of African American Religion. This book received an “honorable mention” for the 2026 Distinguished Book Award sponsored by the American Sociological Association’s Section on the Sociology of Religion.
Dr. Shelton has been interviewed by major media outlets for news stories relevant to his research such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, National Public Radio (NPR), the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), Christianity Today, Houston Chronicle, and network television affiliates in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He earned his PhD and MA degrees in Sociology at the University of Miami (FL), and BA in Sociology at Kent State University. From 2006-2008, Dr. Shelton served as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Sociology at Rice University, where he worked on the first wave of the Portraits of American Life Study (PALS).
From 2020 to 2025, Dr. Shelton served as Chair of the Arlington Unity Council, a major initiative sponsored by the Office of the Mayor that aimed to “study equity strategies that the City could implement to promote and encourage greater equality, and report to the City Council on its findings and recommendations.” This work prepared him for his run for Arlington City Council.
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Committees
- Arlington Housing Finance Corporation
- Tax Increment Investment Zones (Zone 7)
Council Representation
- Tarrant County Homeless Coalition Continuum of Care (CoC)
Community Service Memberships
- Board Member, Arlington Museum of Art
- Board Member, Levitt Pavilion Arlington
- Chair, Arlington Unity Council (2020–2025)
Education/Certifications
- Ph.D., Sociology, University of Miami
- M.A., Sociology, University of Miami
- B.A., Sociology, Kent State University
Volunteer
- Mission Arlington
- Youth programs through his church and other local organizations
Awards
- 2026 Honorable Mention, Distinguished Book Award, Sociology of Religion Section, American Sociological Association, for The Contemporary Black Church: The New Dynamics of African American Religion.
- C. Calvin Smith Award, Southern Conference on African American Studies, for Blacks and Whites in Christian America: How Racial Discrimination Shapes Religious Convictions.
- 2012 Honorable Mention, Distinguished Book Award, Sociology of Religion Section, American Sociological Association, for Blacks and Whites in Christian America: How Racial Discrimination Shapes Religious Convictions.
- 2026 Education Award, Arlington Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee, recognizing his contributions to education, scholarship, and the Arlington community.
Do you have questions or comments for your Council Member? You are encouraged to contact your Council Member.