Born in Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, he moved to the United States to study and later became a U.S. citizen.

He attended Yale University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology.

While there he befriended future U.S. President George W. Bush and both were inducted to the secret society Skull and Bones.

Austin was Associate Professor of Sociology, Justice, and African American Studies at Pennsylvania State University and served as director of the Crime, Law, and Justice Program and the Africana Research Center.

[4] Austin's eldest son, Roy Jr., served as a Deputy Assistant to President Barack Obama leading the White House Office of Urban Affairs, Justice, and Opportunity.