Many successful people can look back on their lives and recount a moment or event that spurred them to a life of purpose. Herbert A. Perkins, Ph.D. can point to an author.

From his first meeting as a Los Angeles teenager with the writings of W.E.B. Dubois, Perkins has been committed to mending race relationships.

Dubois' works continued to influence Perkins through his Notre Dame undergrad years and into his adult life, motivating him to learn about the American legacy of racism and to inspire others.

As Perkins committed his life to the healing of American race relations, he also pursued an academic understanding by earning a Master's degree in English as a Second Language from UCLA, a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from the University of California Santa Cruz and continued studies as a professor.

While director of the Theological Exploration of Vocation program at Hamline University, Perkins was asked to create a curriculum that would allow staff to engage in conversations on race.

Using his life experiences as an African American, his extensive and wide-ranging studies, and decades of work in teaching and intercultural communication, Perkins created the foundation of what would become ASDIC - Antiracism Study Dialogue Circles.

In 2006, Perkins forged a new partnership with his co-award recipient, Margery Otto, applying her life experiences as a White person and professional insights as a lawyer and racial justice activist to the existing curriculum. Perkins now serves as the Executive Director of the organization where he continues to develop and strengthen the transformative curriculum.