Testimony of Roderick Harrison, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies on July 10, 2008, before the Information Policy, Census and National Archives Subcommittee, Oversight and Government Reform Committee, U.S. House of Representatives.

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Date Published: July 2008
 

How can online dialogue on controversial issues of race and ethnicity strengthen local coalitions and promote action to address a specific issue?

From Talk to Action is a booklet concerning racial profiling and how to make creative use of online dialogue to foster improved race relations and civic empowerment. The booklet has a dual purpose. First, it is intended as a guide to community leaders who wish to foster dialogue, bolster action and awareness, and create positive solutions in their communities to address racial profiling. Second, the booklet is intended as a summary of a unique effort to demonstrate how online communications can be used to foster civic empowerment. By linking people who otherwise might not come in contact with each other, the technology can help to break down barriers to communication and interaction and thus both debunk negative stereotypes that continue to plague us and generate cooperative efforts to bridge racial and ethnic divisions.

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Date Published: April 2002

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With the November elections fast approaching, the Joint Center's just-released 2002 National Opinion Poll results on politics reveal both continuity with earlier polls and a few surprises in African American viewpoints.The questions in this survey of 1,647 adults (850 African American) covered a wide range of issues, including domestic politics and party loyalty, the 2002 midterm elections, and policies on education, foreign affairs, and terrorism.

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In an era when financial security during retirement depends largely on personal savings and investments, African American and Hispanic employees of companies that offer 401(k) plans risk financial insecurity during their "golden years." Compared to Asian and white employees, African American and Hispanic workers are less likely to participate in 401(k) plans, and when they participate they are likely to contribute less; they also are more likely to deplete their savings by taking loans and withdrawals from their accounts. The report 401(k) Plans in Living Color: A Study of 401(k) Savings Disparities Across Racial and Ethnic Groups--The Ariel/Hewitt Study features details about these savings disparities, based on information collected for 2007 for nearly three million employees of 57 of the largest U.S. companies across a variety of industries and sectors. Recommendations to narrow the savings disparities are provided in the report as well.

This study was conducted by the Ariel Education Initiative (the nonprofit affiliate of Ariel Investments) and Hewitt Associates (a global human resources consulting and outsourcing company), in collaboration with the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the National Council of La Raza, the National Urban League, the Chicago Urban League, and the Raben Group.

Examines how three of the largest federal programs for workforce training and job placement are affecting racial and ethnic disparities in today's labor market. Conrad finds that the Wagner-Peyser Employment Service, the Workforce Investment Act, and the Adult and WIA Dislocated Workers program have a mixed record in their impact on black and Latino workers in particular. She attributes this to race-indifference in the design and operation of these programs. Concludes with a set of recommendations for making these systems work better for all job seekers.

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Date Published: May 2005
 

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While African Americans are well represented in the nation's armed services overall, their numbers appear to be thinning in the army officer corps. Colonel Kendrick's study, based on intensive focus groups and surveys, examines what black officers themselves perceive to be causing this problem. Among their serious concerns are apparent inequities in career-enhancing job assignments, disparities in ROTC instruction at minority versus majority college campuses, and mentoring arrangements that stress white officers' needs. Kendrick recommends that the army equalize its education standards for all instructors, improve diversity training, and develop better systems for evaluating officer assignments.

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The Old Age, Survivors, and Disability (OASDI) program of the Social Security Administration helps meet the needs of persons who have retired (Old Age), dependents of persons who are deceased (Survivors), and persons who have become disabled, as well as their dependents (Disability). Although the Social Security system consists of these three components, when system reforms are discussed, the emphasis primarily is on retirement benefits. In recent years, however, national attention has been drawn to the SSDI, or disability, program. The number of applicants for SSDI has increased due to an expansion of the classes of disabilities that could qualify an individual for benefits and to the numerous claims being filed by veterans of recent wars, such as the War in Iraq.

This increase in SSDI applications has resulted in lengthy time lags in processing the paperwork before eligible individuals can receive benefits. Enrollment in the SSDI program also has increased dramatically. Over the past two decades, the proportion of individuals between the ages of 25 and 64 who receive SSDI benefits nearly doubled, rising from 2.2 percent in 1985 to 4.1 percent in 2005 (Autor and Duggan 2006).

To be eligible to receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, a person must (1) have worked in a job covered by Social Security for at least five of the past ten years, and (2) have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that is expected to result in death or to last for at least a year and that prevents the individual from engaging in substantial gainful activity (Autor and Duggan 2006). The SSDI program provides benefits to a disabled worker, his/her spouse, and his/her children. The amount of monthly benefits is pegged to the amount of taxable earnings of the disabled worker.

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Date Published: July 2007
 

This brief provides an overview of the current homeownership status of African Americans, along with relevant historical detail to place the present in context. Why homeownership has been a cherished part of the American dream, and homeownership sustainability among African Americans both are discussed. Trends in homeownership rates among African Americans and initiatives to increase homeownership also are covered in this brief.

SEE ALSO AFRICAN AMERICANS AND HOMEOWNERSHIP: THE SUBPRIME LENDING EXPERIENCE, 1995 - 2007 - NOVEMBER 2007 - BRIEF #2[CLICK HERE]

Date Published: March 2008
 

This brief provides a primer on subprime lending and how it has affected homeownership among African Americans. Its story begins in the mid-1990s with the increase in subprime lending for home purchases, home improvement, and refinancing. How the primary and secondary markets for subprime loans operate and how African Americans and households belonging to other racial/ethnic subpopulations have been served by them are detailed. This brief concludes with a discussion of principles and recommendations for enhancing the operation of the subprime market to better meet the needs of African Americans and other disproportionately low-income populations.

SEE ALSO AFRICAN AMERICANS AND HOMEOWNERSHIP: SEPARATE AND UNEQUAL, 1940 - 2006 - NOVEMBER 2007 - BRIEF #1[CLICK HERE]

Date Published: March 2008
 

AARP and the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies conducted a survey in South Carolina among 700 African-American likely voters in April of 2007. The purpose of the survey was to understand the top domestic concerns African-Americans in South Carolina want to see addressed by candidates for the respective Democratic and Republican political party nominations.

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Date Published: April 2007