Economist William Darity Jr. to Give 2023 UMass Amherst Gamble Memorial Lecture

professional headshot of Dr. William Darity


April 20, 2023

William A. (“Sandy”) Darity Jr., the Samuel DuBois Cook Professor of Public Policy, African and African American Studies, and Economics at Duke University, will present the annual Philip Gamble Memorial Lecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Thursday, May 4, at 5:30 p.m. in Bowker Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

In his lecture, “Does Everyone Lose from Racism? Insights from Stratification Economics,” Darity will explore the frequently made claim that racial bias leads working class whites to vote against their own self-interest. He plans to demonstrate that racial bias is functional and leads to advantages for the white working class that can more than offset any ostensible losses associated with the policies that they oppose due to their prejudices.