Media Releases
Panel to Discuss Popular Revolutions in North Africa, Middle East
“North Africa and Middle East Popular Revolutions: Is Now the Time for People’s Power?” will be the subject of a panel discussion on Monday May 16, from 5-7 p.m., in Saxbe Auditorium, 55 W. 12th Avenue, in the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University.
Victories recently won by the Tunisian and Egyptian people brought an end to the brutal authoritarian regimes of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak, to reshape societies in Tunisia and Egypt. These victories also have opened the path for more radical transformation in the wider region of North Africa and the Middle East. Popular uprisings have since taken place in Algeria, Bahrain, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Syria, Yemen, and other countries in the region, rocking the ruling elites throughout the region and beyond. These peaceful mobilizations and protests may have implications of global significance for those interested in shifting power dynamics and geopolitics.
A panel of speakers will explore the broader context and significance of these revolutions and uprisings and their potential ramifications on global geopolitics beyond the region. Speakers will include: Laila AlArian, writer and producer for Al Jazeera English in Washington D.C.; Franco Barchiesi, assistant professor of African American and African Studies at The Ohio State University; and Fadhel Kaboub, assistant professor of economics at Denison University.
The discussion will be moderated by Guisela Latorre, associate professor of women’s studies at The Ohio State University. The event, sponsored by the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State, is open to the public at no charge. No reservations are necessary. For more information, go to kirwaninstitute.org.
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Media contact:
Kathy Baird, baird.111@osu.edu, (614) 292-8766
New Report Offers Detailed Look At Well-Being of Duval County Children
JACKSONVILLE, Florida — In an era of diminished public resources, the Jacksonville Children’s Commission has a new tool to use as it makes decisions about future investments and services to the community.
The Map of Child Well-Being in Duval County is part of a groundbreaking study of children in Duval County conducted by the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State University on behalf of the Children’s Commission. The study was
funded by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund.
The study looks at the way in which two dozen different indicators affect children in Duval County, and then maps the results by neighborhood. The result is a graphic depiction of widely varying circumstances in which Duval County children live.
Among the findings: Read This Article
Kellogg Foundation Grant Funds Kirwan Institute Work
To support its efforts to promote equitable policy for marginalized families and communities across the U.S., the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University has received a three-year, $1.5 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Michigan.
The grant funds four initiatives, including the Kirwan Institute’s work to advocate for equitable economic policies and practices, expand opportunity through community training and analysis, evaluate policy implementation and structural interventions at the community level, and challenge implicit bias in juvenile justice.
“The Kellogg Foundation has been a strong supporter of our work over the years, and this generous grant will enable us to build on past efforts in a number of key areas in order to better identify inequities and share insight on how to eliminate them,” said john powell, Kirwan Institute executive director.
The Kirwan Institute will continue its efforts to assess the impact of federal recovery policy initiatives on marginalized communities of color; expand “opportunity mapping” efforts which geographically show racially-based disparities; evaluate outcomes of communities’ policy reforms stemming from the Kirwan Institute’s models; and launch research on implicit racial bias within the juvenile criminal justice system in collaboration with the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute at Harvard University.
“In all of these areas, we must understand the factors at work, then share our insights with others across the country to encourage equitable policy,” said Jason Reece, senior researcher at the Kirwan Institute. “The collaboration of our community partners and the support of the Kellogg Foundation are vital to our success, and we are grateful for their cooperation.”
“This project with the Kirwan Institute supports our goals for promoting racial equity,” said Gail C. Christopher, vice president – program strategy with the Kellogg Foundation. “We are pleased to partner on this critical research to educate national policymakers on the impacts of structural racism faced by families today living in communities hit hardest by the economic downturn, high unemployment, and the housing crisis. This project is a great example of how racial equity is an integrated approach to all our work in support of a better future for our most vulnerable children and families.”
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, established in 1930, supports children, families and communities as they
strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as
contributors to the larger community and society. Grants are concentrated in the United States, Latin
America and the Caribbean, and southern Africa. For further information on the foundation, please visit
www.wkkf.org.
The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity was established in 2003 as a center for
interdisciplinary research at The Ohio State University. The Kirwan Institute partners with people,
communities, and institutions worldwide to think about, talk about, and act on race in ways that create
and expand opportunity for all. For more information about the Kirwan Institute, go to:
kirwaninstitute.org.
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Black and Latino Unemployment Rates Remain Consistently Higher; Latino Unemployment Rate Reaches 12-Month High
In November, Latino unemployment rates reached a 12-month high of 13.2 percent, according to the latest RaceRecovery Index prepared by the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University. While unemployment was up slightly for all groups in November to an overall rate of 9.8 percent, Blacks and Latinos continued to face significantly higher unemployment rates than the overall population.
November data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that unemployment rates for White men, who traditionally face lower-than-average unemployment rates, are slowly rising to approach national unemployment rates (9.2 percent for White men versus 9.8 percent for the overall population.) This trend may signify either that the economic crisis is worsening or that formerly discouraged workers are re-entering the labor force.
Other findings show that Black-owned businesses have received a proportinately lower number and dollar value of federal stimulus contracts when compared with other businesses. The Race-Recovery Index tracks how the federal stimulus and economic recovery are impacting communities most in need. It is produced monthly by the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, a center for interdisciplinary research at The Ohio State University.
The Kirwan Institute partners with people, communities, and institutions worldwide to think about, talk about, and act on race in ways that create and expand opportunity for all. To view the full report, including charts, see the December Race-Recovery Index.
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Race-Recovery Index Charts April Unemployment and Federal ARRA Contract Awards, By Race
Despite the gain of 290,000 jobs in April, overall unemployment rose from 9.7% to 9.9% due to the reentry of over 800,000 individuals into the labor force. Black unemployment held steady at 16.5% from March to April, while Latino unemployment dropped slightly from 12.6% to 12.5%.
While women-owned and minority-owned businesses received a smaller-than-proportional percentage and dollar value of federal ARRA (Recovery Act) contracts overall, there is an upward trend in such contract awards in recent months. More information, including a variety of charts, is available in the May Race-Recovery Index released today by the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University.
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john powell to Receive Loving Civil Rights Award May 20
john powell will serve as 2010 honoree and keynote speaker at the Loving Civil Rights Award Dinner, presented by the Connecticut Fair Housing Center on Thursday, May 20, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m., at The Bond Hotel in Hartford, Connecticut.
The Loving Civil Rights Award honors Mildred and Richard Loving, a couple who suffered the ultimate form of housing discrimination, when Virginia banned them from residing together in the state because of their interracial union. Eventually, Mildred and Richard Loving challenged Virginia’s prohibition on interracial marriages and their historic victory before the United States Supreme Court inspired generations of civil rights lawyers.
john powell is executive director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, and Gregory H. Williams Chair in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University.
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