The Samuel DuBois Cook Center is a scholarly collaborative that studies the causes and consequences of inequality and develops remedies for these disparities and their adverse effects.
A research team, including Cook Center affiliates Imari Z. Smith and Lisa A. Gennetian, reveals that concerns about government surveillance deter Black families from enrolling in early childhood home visiting programs. Despite proven benefits—including reductions in maternal mortality and improvements in child development—Black parents are less likely to enroll due to concerns about government surveillance…
Cook Center Associate Director of Research and Director of Health Equity Working Group Keisha Bentley-Edwards was spotlighted by the Black Caucus of the Society for Research in Child Development for Black History Month. From research experiences as an undergraduate at Howard, to the value of mentorship, Dr. Bentley-Edwards details her career experiences and trajectory to…
Faculty Affiliate Sandra Barnes documentary, “Four Voices: Journeys” has been nominated for two Nashville/Midsouth Emmys. “Four Voices: Journeys” was created and produced by Barnes, and explores the lives of four young Black members of the LGBTQIA+ community. The film delves into their experiences with religion and spirituality in the South. The documentary is being recognized…
Founding Director William Darity Jr. co-authored a new literature review in The BMJ that directly addresses one of the most persistent critiques of reparations: the claim that no feasible plan exists. The proposal outlines direct monetary payments as the clearest economic measure of the cumulative and intergenerational effects of white supremacy. The article argues that…
Cook Center Director William A. Darity Jr. will be among the featured speakers at an upcoming public hearing hosted by the New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies (NYSCCRR) on Saturday, March 21st, 2026, in Staten Island, New York. The hearing, titled “Economic Development: Quantifying Harms,” is part of the Commission’s statewide effort to…
New research co-authored by Faculty Affiliate Sarah Gaither, Associate Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience at Duke University, explores how something as routine as demographic forms can influence feelings of inclusion and identity among marginalized communities. Published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, the study—“Enumeration or Exclusion? Demographic Forms and Latine Identity”—investigates how demographic questions may…
