Charles W Mills, distinguished professor of philosophy at City University of New York (CUNY), died on September 20 from cancer in New York. He was 70 years old.

Mills was the son of respected academic Professor Gladstone Mills, who was also the first chairman of the Electoral Advisory Committee.

His uncle, Don Mills, served as Jamaica’s ambassador to the United Nations and chair of the Commonwealth Foundation.

He wrote profusely on matters of race in the United States. His six books, including Black Rights/White Wrongs: The Critique of Racial Liberalism, addressed the impact of racism on modern society.

The Kingston-born Mills was appointed professor of philosophy at CUNY in 2016. Previously, he served on the faculty at Northwestern University (2007-2016) and 17 years at University of Illinois, Chicago (1990-2007).

He also did stints at University of Oklahoma, University of Toronto, Campion College and the College of Arts, Science and Technology (now University of Technology, Jamaica) where he lectured in physics.

Like his father and uncle, Charles Mills attended Jamaica College. He earned his PhD from University of Toronto and an undergraduate degree from The University of the West Indies.

He is survived by his brother Raymond, sister-in-law, four nephews and a niece.

— Howard Campbell