The Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity

Cook Center Affiliate Imari Smith has published a paper "Racial and Gender Differences in Discrimination and Psychological Distress among Young Adults."

Smith, doctoral candidate in the Duke University’s Joint Program in Sociology and Public Policy, was the lead author on the paper, which sheds light on the understudied negative effects of discrimination on young adults' mental health.

See more here: https://socialequity.duke.edu/news/cook-center-affiliate-imari-smith-published-a-paper-in-social-science-medicine-on-racial-and-gender-differences-in-discrimination-and-psychological-distress-among-young-adults/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_eqm3bxahnh

Last week was the start of the Hank & Billye Suber Aaron Young Scholar Summer Research Institute!

Students have been working through content session, feedback sessions from Cook Center Affiliates, writing sessions, and presentation workshops to aid with the completion of their research projects.

Students got to hear from Cook Center Affiliates about various topics, such as: The Importance of Namesakes from Rachel Ruff, Health Inequity from Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards, Educational Disparities from Dr. Kelvin Bullock, and Environmental Justice from Dr. Pak Hung Lam!

We look forward to the coming weeks of the program, stay tuned for more information!

Read more about the program on our website: https://socialequity.duke.edu/education/hank-billye-suber-aaron-young-scholars-summer-research-institute/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_b1og1iza2e

&BillyeSuberAaronYoungScholars #2024

During a Durham Public School event, SPALSH for employees, current and past scholars from the Hank and Billye Suber Aaron Young Scholars Summer Research Institute brought their research posters from the program and presented them in a gallery walk and table talk session.

The scholars were able to connect and answer questions from DPS teachers and employees about the importance of their topics in relation to education.

Participating Scholars: Sydney Patterson, Kaleb Lucas, Avery Patterson, Genevieve Furges, Kayla Ortega-Burch, Jenny Uba, Kelci Lucas, Catalina Sanchez-Toloza, Mirian Masamba, and Rachel Ruff.

Founding Director William A. Darity Jr. quoted in Richmond Free Press about the failure of Reconstruction to provide freedmen and freedwomen with land following the Civil War.

Read more here: https://socialequity.duke.edu/news/founding-director-william-a-darity-jr-quoted-in-richmond-free-press/

Founding Director William A. Darity Jr. speaks about Juneteenth and its significance to Connecticut Public Radio.

"While many Black Americans have been celebrating Juneteenth since 1865, the holiday has often been overlooked by non-Black Americans. This hour, we look at the tradition of the holiday and recognize its importance as a time to learn more about Black history in the U.S.

Distinguished Professor Dr. William Darity explains the history of reparations and today's racial wealth gap."

See more information here: https://socialequity.duke.edu/news/founding-director-william-a-darity-jr-speaks-about-juneteenth-and-its-significance-to-connecticut-public-radio/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_fpe38k3tey

Recently some previous and current participants of the Hank and Billye Suber Aaron Young Summer Research Institute were student panelists for WE ARE Educator Summer Institute!

We are glad to see our scholars be active in the community!

Learn more about our scholars here: https://socialequity.duke.edu/education/hank-billye-suber-aaron-young-scholars-summer-research-institute/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_lngith1wvg

Faculty Affiliate Dr. Lisa Gennetian published a paper in Nature that studies the effects of monthly cash transfers to low-income households.

Gennetian, is the lead author on the paper, which found that families who received substantial cash transfers during the study spent more time with (and money on) their children than families that didn’t receive such transfers.

With the families spending this money on toys, books, and activities for their children, the results suggest that substantial cash transfers can lead to significant improvements in kids’ early environments.

See more here: https://socialequity.duke.edu/news/faculty-affiliate-lisa-gennetian-publishes-paper-in-nature-on-cash-transfers-to-low-income-households/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_luerdziona

Cook Center Founding Director William A. Darity Jr. was recognized as a Trailblazer!

"Celebrated, pioneering Duke economist and social scientist William “Sandy” Darity is the nation’s foremost scholar and advocate of reparations for Black Americans."

Read more here: https://socialequity.duke.edu/news/founding-director-william-a-darity-recognized-as-duke-centennial-trailblazer/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_gsfgvvn3bl

The new episode of Voices in Equity is finally here! Dive into this episode, featuring insightful discussions on small Black-owned businesses in Durham.

Join our Founding Director Dr. William A. Darity, alongside Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams, Deputy City Manager Bertha Winbush, Durham City Grants Manager Victoria Samayoa, and President & CEO of the Carolina Small Business Development Fund Kevin Dick.

Explore the collaborative efforts of the Cook Center, the City of Durham, and key change-makers in supporting small Black businesses.

Tune in now: https://socialequity.duke.edu/media/podcasts/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_xbfnrafqug

Faculty Affiliate Dr. Sarah Gaither was recently interviewed on the Opinion Science Podcast about her research into how a random roommate assignment policy affects roommate relationships, attitudes, and behavioral changes based on roommate race.

In the paper, published last month in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Gaither and her co-authors found that the randomized roommate assignment holds promise as a way for universities to promote cross-race contact and increase diversity in friend networks on college campuses.

See more: https://socialequity.duke.edu/news/faculty-affiliate-sarah-gaither-discusses-impact-of-random-roommate-assignments-on-opinion-science-podcast/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_y2jhbuu0rp

Faculty Affiliate Sarah Gaither Discusses Impact of Random Roommate Assignments on Opinion Science Podcast - The Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University Faculty Affiliate Dr. Sarah Gaither was recently interviewed on the Opinion Science Podcast about her research into how a random roommate assignment policy affects roommate relationships, attitudes, and behavioral changes based on roommate race. In the paper, published last month in the Journal of P...

Faculty Affiliate Dr. Fenaba R. Addo, Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, was quoted in two stories—for Duke News and for The Charlotte Post—for her recent research on the persistent and growing racial wealth gap in the United States.

Addo’s paper—“Setting the Record Straight on Racial Wealth Inequality" was published last month in AEA Papers and Proceedings.

See more here:
https://socialequity.duke.edu/news/faculty-affiliate-fenaba-r-addo-quoted-in-duke-news-and-the-charlotte-post-on-recent-research/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_3jo5vtliq8

Research Affiliate Dr. Eric Griffith published a paper on the relation between religion/spirituality and the rates of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) among Black people in the United States, finding that those who never attended religious services had significantly higher odds of being diagnosed with ADRD than those who attended services more than once a week.

The paper was co-authored entirely by Cook Center researchers. In addition to Griffith, the paper’s co-authors were Faculty Affiliate Dr. Paul A. Robbins, former undergraduate Research Assistant Bethlehem T. Ferede, and Associate Director of Research and Director of the Health Equity Working Group Dr. Keisha L. Bentley-Edwards.

See more information here: https://socialequity.duke.edu/news/research-affiliate-eric-griffith-publishes-paper-linking-religious-service-attendance-to-lower-adrd-rates-in-black-americans/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_wmljnub5pu

Cook Center research was featured in Inequality.org Op-Ed on the Racial Wealth Gap.

Senior Associate in Research and Communications Strategist Amber Holland takes readers through the work of Cook Center researchers to address questions about the Racial Wealth Gap and debunk common myths in their new study “Setting the Record Straight on Racial Wealth Inequality”.

This study is authored by Fenaba R. Addo, William A. Darity Jr., and Samuel L. Myers Jr. See our recap of the publication here: https://socialequity.duke.edu/news/cook-center-collaborators-publish-paper-on-growing-u-s-racial-wealth-gap/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_oumuntmhyi

See the Op-Ed at Inequality.org here: https://inequality.org/research/the-racial-wealth-gap-is-persistent-and-growing/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_tadklvftma

Cook Center Collaborators Publish Paper on Growing U.S. Racial Wealth Gap - The Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University Three collaborators at the Samuel DuBois Cook Center for Social Equity at Duke University have published a new paper showing that the modern racial wealth gap is in fact growing, in large part because of the cumulative impact of the country’s racial history, and intergenerational transfers of weal...

The wait is finally over! Season 2 of our Voices in Equity Podcast officially starts this week!

Tune into the first episode of this season this Wednesday, 7/3, wherever you listen to your podcasts!

This episode, "Supporting Black-Owned Businesses in Durham" will be hosted by Cook Center Founding Director William A. Darity Jr. and will feature several special guests dedicated to advocating for small businesses in Durham.

Make sure to tune back to page or see our website for more information: https://socialequity.duke.edu/media/podcasts/

Comment who you think will be joining Dr. Darity🤭

Exciting news! The Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity just moved to a new space in the historic Mutual Life building in downtown Durham, NC!

With this new space, we’ll have even more room to accommodate educational programs and activities, interdisciplinary research partnerships, and an expanding team who is dedicated to studying the causes and consequences of inequality.

Plus, the space offers excellent views of downtown Durham, NC—one of the many locations where we study issues of inequality.

Join us from our new and improved location as we continue our mission to promote social equity!

Our Visiting Faculty member, is traveling back to Turkey!

During her time here Dr. Yakışır taught the 2024 Spring GIRI course: Gender and Development, was featured for Women’s History Month, and worked on various research projects.

Her research interests include inequality, feminist economics, applied economics, and time use. Her most recent research focuses on the effects of indirect taxes and inflation on inequality.

Thank you Dr. Yakışır!

Cook Center Founding Director William A. “Sandy” Darity, Jr., along with writer A. Kirsten Mullen, were recently interviewed by WUNC North Carolina Public Radio to discuss research from their edited volume The Black Reparations Project: A Handbook for Racial Justice.

This research demonstrates a direct connection between slavery and today’s racial wealth gap.

Read more with the link in our bio!

Today, we commemorate Juneteenth, a pivotal day in history marking the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans in the United States. On June 19, 1865, the news of freedom finally reached the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, following the defeat of the Confederacy.

In honor of this significant day, we are featuring a reflection on Juneteenth both nationally and locally within North Carolina by Cook Center Associate in Research, Rachel Ruff( )

“The recognition of Juneteenth is more than a recognition of freedom; it is an acknowledgment of the persistent efforts to maintain a system of racial oppression even after slavery was abolished”.

Read more with the link in our bio!

Exciting new research from three collaborators at the Cook Center, Faculty Affiliate Fenaba R. Addo, Founding Director, William A. Darity Jr. and Cook Center Distinguished Fellow Samuel L. Myers Jr.

The study, “Setting the Record Straight on Racial Wealth Inequality,” appeared in the May 2024 edition of AEA Papers and Proceedings. It shows that the modern racial wealth gap is in fact growing, in large part because of the cumulative impact of the country’s racial history, and intergenerational transfers of wealth from older generations to younger ones.

Learn more with the link in our bio!

As the year ends, we wanted to recognize our North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics students that participated in our mentoring program. These students had a chance to work with some of our Faculty Affiliates and researchers to work on projects in order to gain experience in social equity research.

The various projects ranged from DOJ Intervention and the Checkpoint Shift: Profiling Hispanic Motorists Under the §287(g) Program (Avery Prince) , Intergenerational Transmission of the American Dream (Rishika Jalagam), Questioning in Gifted Education: Increasing equity through pedagogical approach (Netra Parikh), and LISES: Legislative Information Simplification and Enhancement System for Mitigating Information Asymmetry in Governmental Policies (Maruthi Vemula).

Mentees pictured with Coordinator Kennedy Ruff, listed left to right: [Rishika Jalagam, Avery Prince, Maruthi Vemula, and Netra Parikh]

Check out the video recap of the Black Reparations: A Transatlantic Conversation event on “The Black Reparations Project: A Handbook for Racial Justice,” edited by Founding Director William Darity Jr. and affiliates A. Kirsten Mullen and Lucas Hubbard.

This essential book moves from theory to action with a practical plan for Black reparations in America. It brings together top scholars to address critical issues and provides guidance for building and implementing a reparations program.

The event, hosted by Lighthouse Bookshop, brought together top scholars from the U.S. and the U.K. explored historical contexts, current initiatives, and future efforts for reparative justice.

Learn more with the link in our bio!

Exciting new research from our very own faculty affiliate, Raffi E. García, along with co-authors Jyothsna Harithsa and Abena Owusu!

Their study explores the impact of transparency disclosures on U.S. banks’ relayed culture, using bank stress-test regulations and a regression-discontinuity design. Key findings reveal that stress-tested banks improve their risk-taking and overall corporate culture, yet face challenges in teamwork and innovation sentiments.

Learn more with the link in our bio!

The Color of Education Summit brings together educators, students, policymakers, researchers, parents, community members, and other key stakeholders focused on achieving equity and eliminating racial disparities in education. This year’s theme is Collective Action: People & The Arc of Justice.

The 2024 summit will allow participants to experience the power of collective action, explore the significance of civic engagement, and create opportunities to collaborate within the state of NC and nationally. The summit will also highlight connections between the past and present to develop a deeper understanding on current educational policies which ultimately impact outcomes.

More information on our website under “Events & Important Dates”!

Congratulations to Faculty Affiliate Dr. Loneke Blackman Carr for receiving the Early Career Faculty Award from the Health Equity Special Interest Group of the Society of Behavioral Medicine this April!

Read more with the link in our bio!

Cook Center Associate Director of Research, Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards, has co-authored a research article in PLOS ONE titled, “Homophily and social mixing in a small community: Implications for infectious disease transmission“.

Dr. Bentley-Edwards and her co-authors explored how people in a small, diverse community interact and what this means for the spread of diseases like COVID-19. They focused on who people spend time with based on age, race, and gender. To do this, they talked to people who recently had COVID-19, asked them about their close contacts, and invited those contacts to join the study too.

Learn more with the link in our bio!

Associate Director Keisha Bentley-Edwards leads Health Equity Working group in In the latest blog post from .

The dangers of race-based medical misinformation became personal for Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards when her father’s health had been put at risk. Dr. Bentley-Edwards helps us understand the concept of race-based medicine, reveals some surprising examples of it, and shares strategies for eliminating it all together.

Learn more at blog.nimhd.nih.gov.

Faculty Affiliate Sarah Elizabeth Gaither, PhD, the Nicholas J. and Theresa M. Leonardy Associate Professor Psychology & Neuroscience at Duke University, has recently coauthored a paper titled “Testing intergroup contact theory through a natural experiment of randomized college roommate assignments in the United States.”

The findings, recently published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, suggest that the randomized roommate assignment is a promising way for universities to promote cross-race contact and increase diversity in friend networks amid persistent racial segregation on college campuses.

Find more information with the link in our bio!

Visiting Faculty Monica Garcia-Perez is the Guest Editor of the May 2024 special health equity edition of the American Journal of Health Economics. The issue was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic and the disparities that affect access to health care, quality of care, and final health outcomes.

The special edition fills several gaps in health equity scholarship and aligns itself with the discipline’s commitment to addressing the upstream influences of detrimental socioeconomic conditions and giving all people a fair opportunity to reach their health potential.

Read more with the link in our bio!

SocialEq

Faculty Affiliate Loneke Blackmann Carr, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut, recently published a paper titled “Black Feminism and Womanism: A Narrative Review of the Weight Loss Literature”

The paper, published in Ethnicity & Disease, is a systematic review that employs Black Feminism and Womanism to examine approaches and results of Black women–centered behavioral weight loss interventions.

Read more with the link in our bio!