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.
Cook Center Core Faculty Keisha L. Bentley-Edwards was quoted in SELF article discussing medical gaslighting and how to respond to it. Dr. Bentley-Edwards provided important advice for patients navigating their healthcare experiences. In the article, Bentley-Edwards emphasizes the importance of being prepared for medical appointments, suggesting that patients identify their top three concerns to discuss…
A new episode of Sanford’s Policy 360 podcast takes a deep dive into one of the key issues shaping the 2024 election: racial wealth inequality and its influence on social policy. William A. Darity Jr., the Samuel DuBois Cook Distinguished Professor and Cook Center Founding Director, joins the discussion with interim Dean Manoj Mohanan from…
Cook Center Postdoctoral Associate Elizabeth Degefe coauthored a piece in The Fulcrum. In the piece titled, The propaganda of ‘meritocracy’, Degefe and her co author, Jelani Ince, discuss current interpretations of merit and its effect on discussions of diversity, inclusion, equity and opportunity. Elizabeth is a Postdoctoral Associate in Duke University’s Samuel Dubois Cook Center…
Founding Director William A. Darity Jr. was interviewed for a Forbes Talk by Ali Jackson-Jolley to discuss what economic freedom looks like in 2026. Dr. Darity is one of the leading voices in academia advancing the case for Black reparations in the U.S. He co-authored From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the…
A recent feature highlighted how Kisha N. Daniels, associate professor of the practice in education, continues to expand the reach of her service‑learning course, The Critical Pedagogy of Hip Hop, through community‑centered partnerships with Durham Public Schools. The story follows a semester‑long collaboration between Daniels’ Duke students and 11th graders at Jordan High School, culminating…
A study coauthored by faculty affiliates Joaquin Alfredo‑Angel Rubalcaba and Alberto Ortega explore the effectiveness of worker‑driven social responsibility programs on infant health outcomes in migrant farmworker communities. Published in Demography, the research examines whether the Fair Food Program, a worker‑rights initiative supported by corporate premiums, has had measurable health impacts on the communities it…
