Establishing a tradition of research on race and consumers in the marketplace: A tribute to the late Dr. Geraldine Henderson and the late Dr. Jerome Williams

This special issue on Race and Consumers in the Marketplace is dedicated to Dr. Geraldine (Gerri) Henderson, Professor of Marketing at the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University of Chicago, and Dr. Jerome Williams, Distinguished Professor and Prudential Chair in Business, Rutgers Business School, Rutgers University—two scholars who committed their research careers to the study of the effects of systemic racism and discrimination on Black and Brown consumers in the marketplace. Gerri passed away in November 2019, and Jerome passed away in January 2021. These were profound losses to those of us who had the opportunity to work with Gerri and Jerome directly as well as to those who were influenced by their contributions to and outside of Marketing. Gerri and Jerome were founding members of the Race in the Marketplace (RIM) Research Network and served on its advisory board. Their legacy—in addition to thousands of pages of research that advance our understanding of the dynamics of race and racism in many different consumption contexts—will continue through the work of the many scholars they mentored—their former students, co-authors, colleagues, and others who aspire to illuminate the operation of systemic racism and injustice in the marketplace.