As a Black man whose research focuses on Japan, Dr. Dyron K. Dabney says he has often felt like a “unicorn.”
“When I was in Japan, I had to accept the fact that I was going to be one of a few in this profession, but also in Japan, percentage wise,” says Dabney, an associate professor of politics and Japanese studies at Earlham College, a private liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana.
Dr. Dyron K. Dabney
Dabney is director of Earlham’s Institute for Education on Japan (IEJ). In this role, he oversees and leads Earlham’s various Japan-related outreach activities, including its study abroad partnerships with schools such as Waseda University in Tokyo.
Dabney’s interest in Japan spans his entire life. He was first introduced to Japanese culture at age 11 through martial arts and karate, which were “quite professionally transformative or shaping” for his career.
Over time, his curiosity grew, leading him to take Japanese courses. He holds a B.A. in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and a Ph.D. in comparative politics, with a focus on Japanese studies and American politics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
He carried his love for Japan into his larger career pursuits, intertwining it with his expertise in political science. In his classrooms at Earlham, and formerly at Albion College, Dabney says he introduced and exposed students to Asia and Japan through courses on contemporary Japanese and East Asian politics, political engagement, and election studies.
