Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy

The Institute’s California Explorations Project and the Excessive Wealth Disorder Institute co-hosted the final discussion of our virtual series examining the significance of the November 2024 election outcomes for progressive community power building in California and beyond. In our conversation, we discussed what’s next and needed for progressive organizing and policy advocacy, including: ✔️ the role community organizing and power building must play in continuing to advance progressive goals at the local and state levels; ✔️ strategies for improved messaging and outreach about progressive values, policies, and priorities; ✔️ the need for long-term funding and investment to build institutions and capacity at the grassroots level; and more. Thank you to everyone who joined us, and thank you again to our speakers, including Rep.-Elect Lateefah Simon (D-CA) of Oakland, California; G. Cristina Mora, Co-Director of the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley; and Shane Murphy Goldsmith, President & CEO of Liberty Hill Foundation. Watch the discussion: https://lnkd.in/gr3u-tj7 #CAExplorations #TheInstitute

How can local leadership spur structural economic change? The Institute’s Budget Equity Project and the Health and Political Economy Project co-hosted the first installment in our new webinar series showcasing ARPA-fueled policy movements that hold promise to drive large-scale policy shifts to increase economic and health equity. In this first discussion, local leaders—in elected office, public health department, and advocacy organization roles—showcased promising pathways for successful medical debt cancellation initiatives, including model approaches, common challenges, and lessons learned. The Budget Equity Project also released a new interactive map and analysis of government-led medical debt cancellation policy efforts, tracking $15.6 billion in medical debt relief led by state and local government initiatives so far. Be sure to join us again in January for the next session in our discussion series, "From Local Innovation to Systemic Change: ARPA Investments Building Toward an Equitable Economy." Stay tuned for details! Watch the discussion: https://lnkd.in/gduPPPqP Explore the Budget Equity Project's Medical Debt Elimination Tracker: https://lnkd.in/gmkyiN3V #BudgetEquity #HealthandPoliticalEconomy #MedicalDebt

The Institute’s Director of State and Local Policy David Radcliffe recently spoke about #BabyBonds and the role of wealth in moving people from scarcity to security at an event hosted by the Urban Institute and National Diaper Bank Network, which examined the impacts of basic material needs on health and financial well-being and implications for social and economic policies and programs. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gPFpCGBM

Earlier this month, Institute Senior Fellow Dr. Amara Enyia provided expert testimony at the 35th Session of the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent in New York City. The session focused on reparatory justice for people of African descent, including interrogations of the manifestations of the legal/legislative, political, economic, social, and cultural dimensions of reparative justice. It also examined national and subnational efforts and initiatives in order to make recommendations for what could—and should—be done at the global level. Dr. Enyia provided remarks drawing on her expertise in global economic systems, institutions and structures, and movement building. Watch Dr. Enyia's testimony: https://lnkd.in/gKC7drDS

"Connecticut may be the first state in the nation to take this policy step, but it surely will not be the last." State of Connecticut - Office of the Treasurer Erick Russell discusses how the Constitution State became the first in the nation to launch a state-level #BabyBonds program—and why other states should strongly consider adopting similar programs of their own. Read via Nonprofit Quarterly: https://lnkd.in/gpHPF-kv Explore our full Baby Bonds series with NPQ: https://lnkd.in/gpADvHHF

Join the Asset Funders Network, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School for an insightful in-person event on January 16, 2025. Explore how #babybonds—publicly funded investment accounts for children—can be a game-changing policy to reduce #generationalpoverty and narrow the #wealthgap. Learn from experts about state-led initiatives in California, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C., and discover how strategic investments can drive opportunities in education, homeownership, small business, and retirement. Philanthropic and nonprofit leaders, researchers, and policymakers invested in creating an equitable future — we hope to see you there! Limited seating is available - register today! https://loom.ly/Nbq5KGc

For ESP President Natalie Foster, hope isn’t just optimism—it’s strategic. In a new blog with the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy, she highlights progress on Baby Bonds in Vermont and Georgia, places where the consensus on cash is growing.

“We’re in business to help people in need, and I’m elected to serve all of the people in North Haven.” Michael Freda, the First Selectman and CEO of North Haven, Connecticut, spoke with us about why he sees #BabyBonds as an essential investment in people as part of a larger economic development strategy. Read on our #BabyBlogs: https://lnkd.in/g-3wyajg

“It’s the kind of cash that not only creates an economic floor but can support the steady foundation that allows for dreaming and building and setting down roots.” Natalie Foster, co-founder and president of the Economic Security Project, discusses the strategic value of hope as new #BabyBonds programs bring the promise of building an economic foundation for all. Read on our #BabyBlogs: https://lnkd.in/gJ5UWiZm #TheGuarantee #GuaranteedInheritance

Hear from local leaders taking action on #medicaldebt next week as we feature the first discussion of our new webinar series showcasing ARPA-fueled policy movements that hold promise to drive large-scale policy shifts to increase economic and health equity. During this first webinar, local leaders and advocates will share how they directed ARPA and other public funds toward erasing residents’ medical debts, the direct benefits of those investments, and how they are working toward comprehensive solutions to the medical debt crisis. Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/3B0ebAS