Early Career

Reid continued to be inolved with the Urban League. From 1925 to 1928, Reid was appointed and served as the Industrial Secretary of NY Urban League, which meant that he conducted studies of living conditions of low-income black families in Harlem. From 1928 to 1934 Reid was the director of research at the National Urban League, and conducted seven studies of African-American communities in the United States.

In 1934, Reid enrolled as a doctoral student at Columbia University, graduating in 1939, where he wrote his dissertation about West Indian immigration. From 1934 to 1946 Reid was a professor of sociology at Morehouse College of Atlanta University, where WEB DuBois was the chair of the department. The two had a very close working relationship. In 1944, Reid took over DuBois’ role as editor-in-chief of Phylon: The Atlanta University Review of Race and Culture, and from 1944-1946 served as chair of the department of Sociology at Atlanta University.

In 1945 Reid began teaching at New York University's school of education on a two-year visiting professorialship position. From 1946-1947 Reid was a visiting professor of Sociology at Haverford, a position sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee.