John P.N. Massad MA, PhD

“I believe anthropology can and must address injustice, as it is woven into our lives, through the calm and therapeutic voice of the practitioner. Our job is to improve the lives of the people with whom we work. I have spent over 10 years in leadership in NAPA, where I have seen the myriad ways we applied anthropologists achieve those goals. We are dedicated, and that is our unique legacy. And, I have learned to herd cats, for that is what you do when you lead such an organization. But, that is not what defines me as an anthropologist. I see anthropology everywhere. In practice, we apply anthropology to daily life. I find it in line at my ghetto grocery store, in an inner-city Montessori school, on my front stoop. In practice, the simplest observations reveal so much and can help others see through our gaze, provided we clearly tell them our stories – and cherish theirs. In such practice, we serve. I am a social justice activist, an ethnographer, a shepherd of cats, yes, but also a poet. And, I will stand by any and all of those terms. I am AAA.”