Ronald Walters, professor in government and politics at the University of Maryland, College Park, and director of the African-American Leadership Institute, will lecture on "Barack Obama and the Politics of Racism," Monday, May 5, at 12:15 p.m. at Cornell's Africana Studies and Research Center, 310 Triphammer Road. The talk is free and open to the public.

Walters is widely known for his expert views on African-American leadership and politics and for his writing and media analysis. He has authored more than 100 articles and eight books, including "Black Presidential Politics in America," which won the Ralph Bunche Prize from the American Political Science Association and the Best Book Award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists.

Walters is a frequent guest on national media as an analyst of African-American politics. He has appeared on CBS News, ABC's "Nightline," NBC's "Today" show, C-Span and such public television shows as "The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer" and "Think Tank." Walters also writes a weekly opinion column for newspapers and Web sites.

His lecture will be followed by a reception and book signing for his latest work, "The Price of Racial Reconciliation" (University of Michigan Press, 2008).