Research

Displays celebrating Durham African American History

Advancing Social Equity Research

Within the Center’s rich interdisciplinary community, our research scholars pursue projects across various fields of inquiry as well as with researchers at Duke and scholars throughout the world.

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Research Themes

The Cook Center organizes its research, programmatic, and scholarship activities into the following domains:

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01

Class, Wealth, & Social Mobility

Documenting the magnitude of racial and ethnic disparities in wealth in the United States.
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02

Health Equity

Investigating the sociocultural, economic, and structural indicators of health to eliminate health-related racial/ethnic and gender disparities.
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03

Education Equity & Policy

Exploring the complex educational challenges facing various subgroups ranging from Pre-Kindergarteners to postsecondary students.
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04

Policing Enforcement & Justice

Advancing research on the mechanisms that produce and maintain inequities within the criminal legal system and its broader consequences on society.
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05

Environmental Justice

Focusing on the behavioral, social, cultural, and technological aspects of the global climate crisis for meaningful incorporation into environmental policy and decision making.
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06

Visual Narratives of Inequality

Amplifying marginalized voices, highlighting inequitable systemic practices, and advancing social justice in North Carolina and beyond. 
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07

Artificial Intelligence & Inequality

Understanding the ethical and sociopolitical stakes of technological developments, automated systems, and artificial intelligence.

Journal Articles

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Social contexts and black families’ engagement in early childhood programs

Authors: Jane Leer, Imari Z. Smith, Zoelene Hill, and Lisa A. Gennetian Journal: PLOS One…
1917, Old Steel Mill

Gains from factory electrification: Evidence from North Carolina, 1905–1926

Author: Will Damron Journal: Explorations in Economic History Abstract: Between 1900 and 1930, the share…

How epigenetic inheritance fails to explain the Black-White health gap

Authors: Evan Charney, William Darity Jr., and Lucas Hubbard Journal: Social Science & Medicine Abstract:…

Intentionality and Congruence Cues Shape Young Children’s Perceptions of Identity-Based Group Membership

Authors: Brenda C. Straka, Adam Stanaland, and Sarah E. Gaither Journal: Developmental Science Abstract: As…

Testing the generalizability of minimal group attitudes in minority and majority race children

Authors: Brenda Straka, Ashley E. Jordan, Alisha Osornio, May Ling Halim, Kristin Pauker, Kristina R….

Editorial – Caste, class, race, and inequality: insights for economic policy

Authors: William A. Darity and Isabel Ruiz Journal: Oxford Review of Economic Policy Abstract: Disparities…

I am not (your) superwoman, Black girl magic, or beautiful struggle: Rethinking the resilience of Black women and girls

Authors: Keisha L. Bentley-Edwards and Valerie N. Adams Journal: American Psychologist Abstract: The concept and…

Ain’t I a Migrant?: Global Blackness and the Future of Migration Studies

Authors: Jean Beaman and Orly Clerge Journal: International Migration Review Abstract: In the wake of…

Books and Book Chapters

With Faith in God and Heart and Mind: A History of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity

Authors: Maurice J. Hobson, Eddie R. Cole, Jim C. Harper, and Derrick P. Alridge Book…
W. E. B. Du Bois

Book chapter – Redress or Socialism? W. E. B. Du Bois’s Silence on Black American Reparations

Chapter Authors: James B. Stewart and William A. Darity, Jr. Book: The Oxford Handbook of…

Book Chapter – Considering Multiracial Youth: Identity Challenges and Health Outcomes

Authors: Brenda Straka and Sarah Gaither Abstract: Health professionals who care for children will find…
The Black Reparations Project

The Black Reparations Project: A Handbook for Racial Justice

Overview This groundbreaking resource moves us from theory to action with a practical plan for…
vital and valuable

Vital and Valuable: The Relevance of HBCUs to American Life and Education

Overview Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are a crucial element of higher education in…

Book Chapter – Stratification Economics: A Primer and an Explanation on Opposition to Affirmative Action

Chapter Authors: Lucas Hubbard and William A. Darity Jr. Book: Handbook on Economics of Discrimination…
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The Pandemic Divide: How COVID Increased Inequality in America

Overview As COVID-19 made inroads in the United States in spring 2020, a common refrain…
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A Dream Defaulted: The Student Loan Crisis Among Black Borrowers

About the book A Dream Defaulted explores how the student loan crisis disproportionately affects Black borrowers…

Reports, Briefs, and Essays

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Black Wall Street of the South: From Reconstruction to the Pandemic

Authors: M’Balou Camara, Andre’ D. Vann, William “Sandy” Darity, Raffi E. García, Jim Harper, Bertha…
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Ensuring A More Equitable Future: Exploring and Measuring the Relationship between Family Wealth, Education Debt, and Wealth Accumulation

Authors: Fenaba R. Addo Abstract: The economic value students derive from postsecondary education relies on…
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Pre-K Through 12 Education and COVID-19: Landscape Analysis of Impact Indicators

Authors: Ashley Kazouh, Adam Hollowell, Lauren Fox, and Keisha Bentley-Edwards Background: On March 14, 2020,…
report cover with the title "the case for a federal job guarantee program"

The Case For A Federal Job Guarantee Program

Authors: William A. Darity Jr. and Dawn Milam Executive Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought…
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Federal Job Guarantee as a Proposition for Enhancing Economic Efficiencies and Business Competitiveness

Authors: William A. Darity Jr. and Jorge Zumaeta Executive Summary: It took a significant departure…
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Baby Bonds: A Universal Path to Ensure the Next Generation Has the Capital to Thrive

Authors: Christa Cassidy, Rachel Heydemann, Anne Price, Nathaniel Unah and William Darity Jr. Introduction: No…
Cities from space

City Economic Equity Rankings: Analysis of 21 U.S. Cities

Authors: Henry C. McKoy Jr. and LaChaun J. Banks Summary: Inclusive economic development is an…

Asset Funders Network: Unlocking Assets Building Women’s Wealth Through Business

A new report produced by Asset Funders Network (ANF), in collaboration with Duke University’s Samuel DuBois Cook…

Research News

Fenaba Addo co-authors paper on Black and White Wealth Differentials

Cook Center Faculty Affiliate Fenaba R. Addo, Ph.D., recently coauthored a review article in…

Lauren Brinkley Rubenstein

New paper from Lauren Brinkley-Rubenstein

A research team led by Dr. Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, Associate Professor of Population Health Sciences…

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John Purakal publishes new paper on PTSD among emergency medicine doctors during COVID-19 pandemic

A research team, including Cook Center Faculty Affiliate John Purakal, MD, MS, examines posttraumatic…

New Roundtable in Journal of American Studies featuring Dr. William A. Darity Jr. and Lucas Hubbard

Founding Director Dr. William A. Darity Jr., and Research Associate Lucas Hubbard were featured…

Cook Center Commissioned Article on HBCUs published in Du Bois Review

What Effect Does Being a Historically Black College/University Have on Endowments? In research funded…

Study Reveals Black Families’ Hesitancy Toward Home Visiting Programs Due to Surveillance Concerns

A research team, including Cook Center affiliates Imari Z. Smith and Lisa A. Gennetian,…

Professional Headshot of William Darity

Cook Center Research and William A. Darity Jr mentioned in article on Funding for Reparations Research

By Dawn Wolf

The Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity and Director William “Sandy” Darity Jr….

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Will Damron published in Explorations in Economic History

Cook Center Postdoctoral Associate Will Damron was recently published in the Explorations in Economic…