Heart of the Matter: The Social Justice Fight Against Heart Disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Common conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity and diabetes—prevalently experienced in Black communities—increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. This report addresses the societal factors related to heart disease in the Black community and how policymakers can help through legislation.
The Cycle: How Motor Vehicular Tickets, Fines, and Fees Exacerbate Poverty and Contribute to Mass Incarceration
While a person’s inability to pay a ticket, fine, or fee arguably does not threaten public safety, today, states across the country respond to this offense by revoking the privilege to drive. This report explores how debt-based driving restrictions disproportionately impact Black people, contribute to financial instability, and threaten the safety of their communities.
NREI 2021 Annual Report
This 2021 Annual Report provides an overview of the National Racial Equity Initiative for Social Justice (NREI) to capture our progress on priorities since the inception of NREI and to provide context to the evolution of NREI to date. As we enter NREI’s second year of operations, we inspirationally look to the work ahead in 2022.
The Rally Cry Heard Around the Nation: A Case Study on Newark’s Approach to Impactful Police Reform
By analyzing the current state of police reform in the U.S. post-George Floyd and Newark’s approach to solving police misconduct on a local level, this case study will provide a fresh outlook on the city’s true impact and lessons learned.
UNPLUGGED: Examining COVID-19 and its Technological Impact on Black Students
This policy brief explores COVID-19’s contribution to widening the digital divide and its detrimental impact on K-12 Black students’ accessibility and connectivity. Further, it encourages legislative action addressing practical solutions to closing the digital divide.
The Black Dollar Part I: Cooperative Economics in Africa
African nations must attempt to minimize dependency on foreign direct investment and neo-colonial partnerships and instead strengthen economic relations within themselves. Intra-African trade is a promising path toward creating sustainable development and decolonizing economic independence on the continent.
Reproductive Rights: Dobbs v. Jackson and Implications for the Black Maternal Health Crisis
As we wait for the Supreme Court to reach a decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, policymakers and policy practitioners must understand the implications of overturning or weakening Roe v. Wade, the impact of an anti-abortion ruling on Black pregnant people, and how such a ruling could threaten extant efforts to address the Black maternal and pregnancy-related mortality crisis.
The Unintended Consequences of Algorithmic Bias
While Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ADS technology increase productivity and spur economic growth, these innovations outpace relevant policy and national standards. Gaps in standardization reveal the lack of adequate safeguards against algorithmic bias.
Reparations More than 150 Years Later: The Case of Restorative Justice Policy in Evanston, IL
This case study dissects the history of reparations and the overall political discourse of the United States’ attitude towards reparations implementation through current legislation.
Appeal for Administrative Action: Canceling Student Loan Debt for Historically Black College and University Alumni
Policymakers must prioritize student debt cancellation, particularly for Historically Black College and University (HBCU) borrowers, to alleviate the impact of high intergenerational financial costs.