Gender race and ethnicity

News

Stacey Abrams, other policymakers and leading scholars to join Ford School symposium

Mar 12, 2024

The Ford School of Public Policy is happy to announce the Dean’s Symposium, which will take place April 11 and 12 at Weill Hall, with the theme, “Policy Innovation for Our Times.” The two days will feature keynote appearances by voting rights...

Stacey Abrams, other policymakers and leading scholars to join Ford School symposium

News

Majority of Flint residents support reparations for Black Americans, CRJ survey shows

Nov 7, 2023

More than half of Flint residents favor reparations for Black Americans, although levels of support vary depending on whether the proposal refers to reparations as a broad concept or specific reparative policies like cash payments or financial...

Majority of Flint residents support reparations for Black Americans, CRJ survey shows

Publication

Dean Watkins-Hayes salutes her mentor, editing the Speechifying compendium

Aug 30, 2023

Ford School Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes is honoring one of her great mentors, Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole — noted Black feminist anthropologist, the first Black female president of Spelman College, former director of the Smithsonian Institution's...

Dean Watkins-Hayes salutes her mentor, editing the Speechifying compendium

News

The Ford School, LSA, and Wallace House Partner for Public Discourse

Aug 25, 2023

On a Monday evening in late November, throngs of University of Michigan students, faculty, staff, and Ann Arbor residents waited expectantly outside the Michigan Theater to attend the premier showing of the film, “She Said.” The movie chronicles...

The Ford School, LSA, and Wallace House Partner for Public Discourse

News

Meet our new faculty: Mo Torres

Aug 25, 2023

Mo Torres returns to the Ford School (he graduated with his MPP in 2015) as one of six University of Michigan Society of Fellows for a three-year appointment. He will work closely with the Center for Racial Justice. Torres is a historical...

News

PPIA students reflect on their summer of study and social life

Aug 2, 2023

What are the dynamics of inequity in labor markets? How do we determine appropriate categories for people in a multicultural society? How is the U.S. approach to ethnicity and nationality different from what they are doing in Europe? These were...

PPIA students reflect on their summer of study and social life

News

Engaged Learning Student Projects Catalog: Preparing Ford School students for leadership

Jun 29, 2023

During the Winter Term 2023, Ford School students were involved in projects with federal, state, county, city, and township governments, school districts, non-profit organizations, and commissions. They worked with the school’s numerous research...

Engaged Learning Student Projects Catalog: Preparing Ford School students for leadership

News

U-M report on Detroiters’ opinions of reparations gains traction in media

Apr 18, 2023

The Center for Racial Justice, the Detroit Metro Area Communities Study, and Poverty Solutions released a new report detailing Detroiters’ opinions on reparations and racial inequity in March 2023. Since its release, multiple news outlets picked up...

U-M report on Detroiters’ opinions of reparations gains traction in media

News

Mo Torres to join Ford School as Michigan Society of Fellows scholar

Apr 17, 2023

Sociologist Mo Torres (MPP ‘15) will join the Ford School faculty for a three-year appointment as a postdoctoral scholar with the Michigan Society of Fellows, serving as an assistant professor of public policy and sociology. He will work closely...

News

Detroiters' views on reparations connected to perception of racial wealth gap, other inequality

Mar 29, 2023

Detroiters' perceptions of the racial wealth gap, the legacy of slavery and other forms of racial inequity are strongly connected to their support for reparations and policies that address racial inequity. Overall, 63% of Detroit residents support...

Detroiters' views on reparations connected to perception of racial wealth gap, other inequality

News

We must change hearts to achieve equality - Alemu

Mar 19, 2023

What is the best way to combat racism -- change policies or change hearts? That is the question Matthew Alemu (MPP '09, PhD) contends with in an essay for Bridge Detroit. "Racism resides where society and policy have yet to tackle it directly,...

We must change hearts to achieve equality - Alemu

News

Ford School welcomes local and state elected officials to boost collaborative work

Feb 16, 2023

Elected officials from local, county, and state government came to the Ford School to hear about the potential for collaborations with their offices and the School’s faculty, research centers, and students. Fifteen members of the Michigan State...

Ford School welcomes local and state elected officials to boost collaborative work

News

Poverty Solutions report on police reform widely referenced in wake of recent alleged police abuse

Jan 31, 2023

Following the death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of the Memphis police, national attention is once again focused on the use of force by police. The Detroit Free Press, among other outlets, turned to a report written by Trevor Bechtel, Mara C....

Poverty Solutions report on police reform widely referenced in wake of recent alleged police abuse

News

Research centers give U-M students hands-on, practical policy experiences

Jan 27, 2023

With the guidance and support of the Ford School’s research centers, graduate and undergraduate students are creating a real-life impact in a range of areas by working with external partners. The Ford School is deeply integrated with a wide range of...

Research centers give U-M students hands-on, practical policy experiences

News

Gun control measures associated with reduced police use of force

Jan 24, 2023

As police departments and activists look for strategies to reduce excessive use of force by police, new research from the University of Michigan shows limited data, lack of transparency and irregular implementation of reforms make it difficult to...

CLOSUP and Poverty Solutions to examine Michigan’s approach to criminal justice reform

News

Announcing winter 2023 Ford School events

Jan 11, 2023

The Ford School is pleased to announce an exciting lineup for the winter 2023 Policy Talks @ the Ford School series and other special public events hosted with partners from across campus. Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise...

Announcing winter 2023 Ford School events

News

Making the case for public policy education

Dec 14, 2022

In an event on December 5, 2022, Ford School interim dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes told a group of Capitol Hill staffers and other DC professionals that a public policy education can lead to community impact. “I'm a firm believer in the idea that our...

Making the case for public policy education

News

Students find inspiration from racial justice changemakers

Dec 7, 2022

In October 2022, students from the Ford School and members of the greater University of Michigan community gathered together to hear “Racial Justice Changemakers”—social justice leaders, artists, and advocates—share their diverse journeys into...

Students find inspiration from racial justice changemakers

News

Detroiters say quality K-12 schools is top policy priority for November elections

Nov 3, 2022

Detroit residents say the quality of K-12 schools is their top priority for the November elections, followed closely by inflation, affordable housing, affordable health care, and crime. That's according to a new representative survey of Detroiters...

Detroiters say quality K-12 schools is top policy priority for November elections

News

Candidate support for reparations would mobilize Detroit voters

Nov 2, 2022

While most Detroiters intend to vote in the November midterm election, those who are uncertain about voting or unlikely to vote could be motivated to cast a ballot by a candidate's support for reparations, according to a new survey from the...

Candidate support for reparations would mobilize Detroit voters

News

Ford School events for fall 2022 explore racial justice, international affairs, the state of democracy and more

Aug 30, 2022

The Ford School is pleased to announce an exciting lineup for the fall 2022 Policy Talks @ the Ford School series and other special public events hosted with partners from across campus. We are hosting distinguished policymakers, scholars,...

Ford School events for fall 2022 explore racial justice, international affairs, the state of democracy and more

News

Center for Racial Justice calls for inaugural visiting fellows applications

Jun 9, 2022

The Center for Racial Justice has opened applications for the inaugural cohort of the Visiting Fellows Program for the 2022-23 academic year. The program is a nine-month, non-residential fellowship that offers social justice leaders, activists,...

Center for Racial Justice calls for inaugural visiting fellows applications

News

U-M virtual series to explore racialized health, economic disparities stemming from COVID-19

Mar 29, 2022

The University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy is kicking off a virtual event series this week with a discussion about the local impact of safety nets on communities of color during the COVID-19 pandemic. Panelists at Friday's event,...

U-M virtual series to explore racialized health, economic disparities stemming from COVID-19

News

Goldman Sachs Foundation invests in Ford School’s Center for Racial Justice

Mar 7, 2022

As part of its One Million Black Women (OMBW) initiative, Goldman Sachs becomes the inaugural funder of the Ford School’s Center for Racial Justice Visiting Fellows Program. The investment will fund one visiting fellow for the 2022-2023 academic...

Goldman Sachs Foundation invests in Ford School’s Center for Racial Justice

In the Media

Watkins-Hayes joins El-Sayed to talk about HIV/AIDS impact

Feb 23, 2022 America Dissected

Celeste Watkins-Hayes, associate dean for academic affairs and founding director of the Center for Racial Justice, recently appeared on, America Dissected, a podcast hosted by Abdul El-Sayed, former Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence. She...

Watkins-Hayes joins El-Sayed to talk about HIV/AIDS impact

News

Application deadline nears for inaugural racial justice reading circles

Feb 7, 2022

In an effort to expand the ways in which the university community approaches discussion of racial equity, the Center for Racial Justice has established two reading circles for the winter 2022 term. The reading circles are open to graduate students,...

Application deadline nears for inaugural racial justice reading circles

News

Ford School Black History Month activities cover a wide spectrum of topics

Feb 2, 2022

The Ford School and its research centers will be hosting a variety of events during February, Black History Month, examining a range of topics concerning the struggles for racial equity. The Center for Racial Justice, Weiser Diplomacy Center and...

Ford School Black History Month activities cover a wide spectrum of topics

News

Bynum's new partnership with Netflix highlights banking discrimination

Dec 14, 2021

In a lengthy interview for Essence, Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence and Hope Credit Union CEO Bill Bynum spoke about his partnership with Netflix to highlight banking discrimination in a 3-part limited series called Banking On Us. "You...

Bynum's new partnership with Netflix highlights banking discrimination

News

Racial justice, national security, global health in focus at Ford School autumn events

Aug 29, 2021

Fall term 2021 will see another packed events calendar, as the Ford School continues to attract some of the most compelling experts and voices from around the world. In conjunction with the launch of the new Center for Racial Justice, the Racial...

Racial justice, national security, global health in focus at Ford School autumn events

Dean's Symposium - Racial Justice and Public Policy: Complexities, Challenges, and Priorities for Reform

Apr 12, 2024, 10:45 am EDT

Betty Ford Classroom (1110)

In this session, five successful academicians from a variety of disciplines will discuss their work and perspectives regarding racial justice and public policy.

Watch live from this page

Dean's Symposium - Racial Justice and Public Policy: Complexities, Challenges, and Priorities for Reform