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NBER: NBER and Racial Justice
Dear NBER Board Members, Colleagues, and Researchers -
The events of the last two weeks, following George Floyd’s brutal death
at the hands of the Minneapolis police, have rocked our country and
reverberated around the world. They are tragic reminders of the
scourges of racism and racial violence in our society, and of the daily
pain -- economic, emotional, and physical -- facing so many Black people
in our nation. These events make clear that we have not resolved a
legacy of racial injustice and inequality in America, and they demand
that we find ways to make progress – and to do so quickly.
In the face of this evidence of persistent social problems, like many of
you I have asked myself “what can I do?” I am resolving to learn more
about the reality of discrimination, injustice, and racial violence, to
understand better its sources and its corrosive toll on our economy and
our society, and to act on potential solutions.
Justice and equality are not “policy recommendations,” from which the
NBER refrains, but universal principles that we pursue collectively.
The NBER is committed to a culture of inclusive interaction. It does
not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, gender, or other
identities. We have developed policies to ensure adherence to these
objectives, and to root out implicit and explicit biases that can be so
toxic in foreclosing both opportunity and achievement. But we can and
must do more. I will work with our program and working group directors
to expand the opportunities for researchers from under-represented
minority groups to participate in NBER activities.
We also must raise our game by devoting more research attention to the
economic consequences of racial injustice and inequality. Several NBER
programs have a long history of research on these issues, but again, we
can and must do more. Last Thursday, at the first meeting of the NBER
Study Group on Economic Mobility, led by Sandra Black, issues of racial
disparities were front and center. They will figure prominently in the
group’s future work, which I will endeavor to showcase and support. I
am working with the co-directors of the Economics of Crime working
group, Phil Cook and Jens Ludwig, to plan a virtual meeting this summer
on the “Economics of Discrimination in the Justice System.”
I welcome other suggestions for ways to direct the talents of our
research community to constructively engage on these critical issues.
Jim Poterba
Received on Mon Jun 08 2020 - 09:38:08 EDT
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