Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

Grounded in high-quality research to foster the creation of public policies that explicitly incorporate principles of racial equity, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, America’s "Black think tank", provides compelling and actionable policy solutions to eradicate persistent and evolving barriers to the full freedom of Black people in America. 

This award supports the Joint Center's annual summit, a hybrid in-person and virtual venue for dynamic and compelling conversations among some of our country’s most noted nonprofit, government, philanthropic, business, and academic leaders. This year's summit is dedicated to addressing large-scale barriers for the Black community, and intends to advance dialogue and inform solutions through fireside chats and panels on issues at the intersection of technology policy, economic policy, and diversity in political appointments and congressional staffing.

Founded in 1970, by Kenneth B. Clark and Louis E. Martin to support newly-elected Black officials moving from civil rights activism into governance, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies (Joint Center) has become an institution that amplifies the voices of the Black community in federal, state, and local policy debates by providing compelling research-backed and actionable policy proposals and new ideas for debate and implementation. As a trusted forum for leading experts and scholars to participate in public policy debates that promotes ideas that advance Black communities, Joint Center through evidence-based research, analysis, convenings, strategic communications and outreach, and collaboration with a network of partners, strives to ensure that Black people are not only represented in policy debates but that policy decisions reflect the priorities and needs of Black communities. Joint Center grounds its work in high-quality research and fosters the creation of public policies that explicitly incorporate principles of racial justice. Its programmatic priority areas include congressional staff diversity, economic and workforce policy, and technology policy. This award provides general support to Joint Center, enabling the organization to strengthen and deepen its capacity to remove systemic and structural barriers to full freedom and equality for Black people in America.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies (the Joint Center) provides compelling and actionable policy solutions to eradicate persistent and evolving barriers to the full freedom of Black people in America. It is the trusted forum for leading experts and scholars to participate in public policy debates and promote ideas that advance Black communities. It uses evidence-based research, analysis, convenings, and strategic communications to support Black communities and a network of allies. Its programmatic priority areas include congressional staff diversity, economic policy and technology policy. The award provides general support to the Joint Center as it continues to build its Technology Policy program focused on issues such as privacy and algorithmic fairness and platform accountability.

To support the organizational development of the center, a nonpartisan research organization seeking to improve the socioeconomic status of African-Americans (over three years).

To establish an international affairs program (over five years).