Policy Punchline

Many studies have come out suggesting a disproportionate burden of illness and death among racial and ethnic minority groups during this Covid-19 crisis. And certainly one cannot attribute this phenomenon simply to the virus itself, but much due to the underlying structural fractures of the American society in its treatment of racial and ethnic minorities for years and decades. In this interview, Dr. Ellora Derenoncourt of UC Berkley and Princeton provides a detailed historical analysis on racial and economic inequality since the days of the Great Migration and discusses possible post-Covid policy measures to address those critical concerns. Her fascinating research on the Great Migration shows that the beautiful idea of "moving to opportunity" for black families no longer holds true, as the Great Migration cities have typically responded to the influx of black migrants with increasing segregation and spending on policing. The dynamic response from local residents and governments paint a gloomy picture on w