Racial Justice | Penn Today

The ideas of the first Black economics Ph.D. offer solutions to our problems today

Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, the first African American with a doctoral degree in economics, advocated for economic justice after graduating from Penn in 1921.

Q&A

The use and misuse of race in health care

In a Q&A, PIK Professor Sarah Tishkoff, the Perelman School of Medicine’s Giorgio Sirugo, and Case Western Reserve University’s Scott Williams shed light on the “quagmire” of race, ethnicity, genetic ancestry, and environmental factors and their contribution to health disparities.

Black, Latinx and female entrepreneurs are still ignored by most venture capitalists

Katherine Klein of the Wharton School spoke about the lack of diversity in venture capital funding. “The disparity in who the venture capitalists are and where their money goes is just phenomenal,” she said.

Black Lives Matter has grown more powerful, and more divided

Daniel Gillion of the School of Arts & Sciences said public disputes within the Black Lives Matter movement may ultimately strengthen it. “It is truly grass roots, involving multiple people chiming in. And that’s what you want,” he said.

‘Traveling Black:’ the fight for freedom on roads, rail, and in the air

Mia Bay of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about her new book, “Traveling Black: A Story of Race and Resistance.”

Aerial view of several blocks of rowhouses in Philadelphia.

A fair housing law proposal to promote racial and economic integration

A research brief co-authored by Provost Wendell Pritchett proposes the use of fair housing law to work toward the end of segregation, and emphasize that the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing provision of the Fair Housing Act extends to all federal agencies.

People on a commuter vehicle with face-coverings on

Q&A

Wharton professor discusses the economics of racism

Bernard E. Anderson, the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Professor Emeritus at the Wharton School, discusses how racism hurts the economy and affects all Americans.

Medical worker in a face mask holds a clipboard for an African American person to sign.

Abramson Cancer Center doubles the percentage of Black participants in clinical trials

Afive-year community outreach and engagement effort more than doubled the percentage of participants, improving access and treatment for a group with historically low representation in cancer research.

Eugenia South standing in a wooded area with arms folded surrounded by tree branches.

Guiding emergency medicine toward a North Star of racial justice

Eugenia South, an assistant professor of emergency medicine and vice chair for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity in Emergency Medicine, highlights the need to connect and act in support of equity and inclusion on many fronts.

Retired Black players say NFL brain-injury payouts show bias

David A. Hoffman of the Law School and Provost Wendell E. Pritchett served as special masters for the judge overseeing the NFL’s settlement of brain injury claims. Their work involved assessing the legitimacy of using race norms in cognitive scoring.

Filters