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Research & Insights

Explore upcoming events on understanding and addressing racism.

Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at HKS

“One of our core values at the School is belief in the worth of each person regardless of their race and other characteristics. We must hold true to that value in everything we do—as we work with and learn from each other, and as we apply our skills and knowledge to make a more just society.”

Dean Douglas Elmendorf

Read the latest message about Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging from Dean Elmendorf 

Harvard Kennedy School’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (ODIB)

Robbin ChapmanODIB works to advance the School as a place where every member of our community will thrive. Cultivating and supporting an anti-racist community is integral to achieving this goal. The office regularly collaborates with HKS departments and centers on projects geared towards creating an anti-racist culture, such as Community Conversations and the Orientation for Students of Color.

The department is led by Dr. Robbin Chapman, Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

 

Resources

Race, Research and Policy Portal (RRAPP)

The Race, Research and Policy Portal is a free online resource dedicated to summarizing and promoting research publications on diversity, racial equity, and antiracist organizational change in private, public, and non-profit firms and entities. Many of the resources highlight academic studies, which are often hidden behind paywals and are subsequently underutilized. RRAPP helps changemakers learn and find the tools they need.

The Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management 

The Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management is part of the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Since 1980 it has conducted research to promote sound policy and effective management in the administration of safety and justice.

The William Monroe Trotter Collaborative for Social Justice 

The William Monroe Trotter Collaborative for Social Justice at Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership advances the social justice and civil rights legacy of William Monroe Trotter through research on social justice, community engagement, and engagement with government and other organizations.

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Racial justice, racial equity, and anti-racism reading list 

The HKS Library has created a reading list that is inspired and largely informed by the Institutional Anti-Racism and Accountability Project at the Shorenstein Center in partnership with the HKS Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

Institutional Anti-racism and Accountability Project (IARA) 

The Institutional Anti-racism and Accountability Project is an initiative at Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center that uses research and policy to promote anti-racism as a core value and institutional norm.

Black America and COVID-19

This collection from the Harvard Library documents the experience of COVID-19 on Black communities in America. Its intention is to create a collective conversation of material for teaching and learning about the contemporary effects of COVID-19 on the Black community as it is tied to the historical legacy of race in America.

Harvard Journal of African American Policy 

The Harvard Journal of African American Policy is the second-oldest, student-run review published annually by the Harvard Kennedy School. Its mission is to educate and empower in order to improve the quality of public policies affecting the African American community specifically and the African diaspora at large.

Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging collection

This HKS collection of books, films, and other resources is intended to foster community discussion and understanding around race, gender, cultural difference, systems of oppression and other topics pertaining to diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

Courses

Courses Related to Racism and Bias

An additional list of courses offered for the 2021-22 academic year in which race and bias are important elements.

Faculty Experts

Marcella Alsan Photo

Marcella Alsan

Appointment
Professor of Public Policy
617-495-1923
Desmond Ang Photo

Desmond Ang

Appointment
Assistant Professor of Public Policy

Sara Bleich Photo

Sara Bleich

Appointment
Professor of Public Health Policy, HSPH; Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor, Radcliffe

Cornell William Brooks Photo

Cornell William Brooks

Appointment
Hauser Professor of the Practice of Nonprofit Organizations; Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership and Social Justice

Michela Carlana Photo

Michela Carlana

Appointment
Assistant Professor of Public Policy

Amitabh Chandra Photo

Amitabh Chandra

Appointment
Ethel Zimmerman Wiener Professor of Public Policy, HKS; Henry and Allison McCance Professor of Business Administration, HBS
617-496-7356
Dara Kay Cohen Photo

Dara Kay Cohen

Appointment
Professor of Public Policy

Will Dobbie Photo

Will Dobbie

Appointment
Professor of Public Policy
617-495-0405
Ronald Ferguson Photo

Ronald Ferguson

Appointment
Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy

Yanilda González Photo

Yanilda González

Appointment
Assistant Professor of Public Policy

Gordon Hanson Photo

Gordon Hanson

Appointment
Peter Wertheim Professor in Urban Policy

Eric Henson Photo

Eric Henson

Appointment
Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy

Joseph Kalt Photo

Joseph Kalt

Appointment
Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy, Emeritus
617-495-4966
Alex Keyssar Photo

Alex Keyssar

Appointment
Matthew W. Stirling, Jr. Professor of History and Social Policy
617-495-1042
Robert Livingston Photo

Robert Livingston

Appointment
Lecturer in Public Policy

Zoe Marks Photo

Zoe Marks

Appointment
Lecturer in Public Policy

Tarek Masoud Photo

Tarek Masoud

Appointment
Ford Foundation Professor of Democracy and Governance

Timothy Patrick McCarthy Photo

Timothy Patrick McCarthy

Appointment
Lecturer on Education, HGSE

Khalil Gibran Muhammad Photo

Khalil Gibran Muhammad

Appointment
Ford Foundation Professor of History, Race, and Public Policy
617-495-1405
Pippa Norris Photo

Pippa Norris

Appointment
Paul F. McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics

Daniel Schneider Photo

Daniel Schneider

Appointment
Malcolm Wiener Professor of Social Policy, HKS; Professor of Sociology, FAS

Maya Sen Photo

Maya Sen

Appointment
Professor of Public Policy

Sandra Susan Smith Photo

Sandra Susan Smith

Appointment
Director, Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy
Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Professor of Criminal Justice, HKS; Professor of Sociology, FAS; Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor, Radcliffe

Latanya Sweeney Photo

Latanya Sweeney

Appointment
Daniel Paul Professor of the Practice of Government and Technology, HKS and FAS

Robert Wilkinson Photo

Robert Wilkinson

Appointment
Senior Lecturer in Public Policy and Leadership

William Julius Wilson Photo

William Julius Wilson

Appointment
Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor, Emeritus
617-496-4514

Related Policy Topics

 

From racial equity, to the climate, to education, and beyond, how can we build societies that are more fair and just? How do we improve access and opportunity for all? 

 

How do gender, race, class, and other aspects of identity affect the policymaking process? Can public policy help create equitable and harassment-free workplaces?  

 

Can social movements help more people participate in shaping public policy and affecting societal values? 

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