Measuring Economic Disparity
An intersectional approach takes into consideration the fact that people often fit into more than one of these categories. When data are disaggregated this way, the results can inform policies to increase health and economic outcomes of vulnerable groups.
"HELP THE HARDEST HIT"
About WISER
Founded on International Women’s Day 2016, the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race (WISER) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)3 research institute. WISER’s mission is to expand women-focused policy research to include the social, economic, cultural, and political well-being of Asian, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous American, and Multiracial women.
WISER believes a microanalysis approach, the disaggregation of data by race, ethnicity and gender, will draw different conclusions for each group, as opposed to the broad umbrella of “women of color.” Using the term “women of color“assumes that Asian, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous American and Multiracial women are a homogeneous group and results in ineffective policies that do not address the needs of the most vulnerable.
WISER advocates for a society where policy research is inclusive of the needs of Asian, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous American, and Multiracial women. We believe the well-being of Asian, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous American, and Multiracial women is vital for economic progress.
WISER Wednesday
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Rhonda V. SharpeA Womb's WorthWhen I heard Pope Francis called for the banning of surrogacy worldwide, I sighed. The state of surrogacy Surrogacy is not legal in Louisiana and Michigan (See Graph 1.) The legality of surrogacy focuses primarily on the payment to the surrogate and parentage. Lauen Danelowski examines the literature on reproductive labor. She posits that...
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Jerry PenderThe Gift of Affordable HousingIn two days, we will enter the last month of 2023. Every year seems to go by even faster than the year before. Although this year has certainly brought its struggles, I want to focus during this time of giving on the progress we are making in our communities on...
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Rhonda V. SharpeI Will Not Shed A TearThis week, we anticipate the decision in the affirmative action cases Students for Fair Admissions, Inc v. Harvard University and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina. It has been 22 years since Justice Sandra Day O’Connor wrote: The Court expects that 25 years from now, the use of...
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Rhonda V. SharpeRegulating Foot PursuitsToday the Nichols family funeralized Tyre Nichols, a father, a son, an avid skateboarder, and a Black man. The condolences and statements will pour in from all over the world, expressing sadness, grief, and outrage that the police brutally killed another Black American. Calls for police reform will again be at...
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Himaja C. NimmagaddaThe Unexpected Impact of Digital PrivacyDigital Privacy Day is January 28th, making this Digital Privacy Week. While this may not mean much for those outside the cybersecurity community, it is essential to recognize data privacy affects everyone every day. It is time to think about digital privacy and safety with the same care and respect as...
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Rhonda V. SharpeIt Is A New YearA new year brings excitement about new beginnings – a new congress, new legislation (minimum wage increases for several states), new healthy habits, and new opportunities to advocate for a more equitable society. I am excited about our partnership with the Family Economic Mobility Division of Share Our Strength. WISER will provide data analysis that...
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Rhonda V. Sharpe365 Days To ShareToday, I’ll wrap up the portrait of the men and women in Himaja, Jerry, and my age categories with at least a bachelor’s degree. Many of the top 5 paid occupations for women are in the medical or finance (insurance) field. Table 1. Median Income for Top Paid Occupations by Age Category...
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Rhonda V. SharpeWinter SolsticeSchools have closed for winter break. For many, today is the last workday before Christmas, for those who celebrate. As promised, I continue with the portrait of the men and women in Himaja, Jerry, and my age categories with at least a bachelor’s degree. Despite the rhetoric about the differences between...
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Jerry PenderHome For The HolidaysOn December 8th, a little over two weeks before Christmas, Brittney Griner returned home from her detainment in Russia. After 10 long months, she is finally back with her friends and family. However, what should have been an overall joyous occasion has been somewhat marred by controversy on whether the US paid...
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Rhonda V. SharpeTo Be Or Not To 25 AgainHimaja’s birthday is December 12. She’ll be 25 (Gen Z). Jerry’s birthday is 1/1; he’ll be 40 (Millenial). I have fond memories of being 25. Given the restriction on reproductive justice, I am relieved to have those years behind me and would not want to repeat them, even with what I know...
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Rhonda V. SharpeMuch To Be Thankful ForOver inflation and thru the broken supply chains to family houses, we go.To eat turkey with fixings, chicken, mac & cheese, and pie made of sweet potatoSocial distance will be spared so hugs can be sharedWith faces unmasked, smiles won’t be impairedWe will recite our “thankful list”And break the turkey...
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Himaja C. NimmagaddaLeave No One OfflineLast Tuesday, I attended an election night party for Wes Moore and Aruna Miller, now governor-elect and lieutenant governor-elect of Maryland. It was a night of firsts; Wes Moore became the first Black elected as governor of Maryland, and Aruna Miller became the first South Asian person elected lieutenant governor...
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Rhonda V. SharpeSenior and Poverty (Part 2)Last week, I shared sex-disaggregated data that showed how the increase in the number of seniors in poverty affected women. Table 1 provides the net growth in the number of seniors by race/ethnicity and gender. Black men (14%) and White men (58%) comprise 72% of the net growth for the...
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Himaja C. NimmagaddaThe Value Of Seeing YourselfAs an organization that advocates for a society where policy research is inclusive of the needs of Asian, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous American, and Multiracial women, we believe in the importance of seeing yourself in the data. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The theme this year is “See Yourself in Cyber.” It...
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Jerry PenderAnother Chance: Changing The NarrativeLast week I had the pleasure of attending the 2022 Palm Beach County Reentry Summit held in West Palm Beach, FL. The conference was terrific, and the people in attendance were even better. Since joining this community and starting my nonprofit, I have met wonderful people doing great work helping...
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proferdousIPOD ProgramIt is hard to believe how quickly a year has gone by. This weekend, we bring in our second cohort of the Inclusive, Peer, Onsite, Distance Mentoring Program. The IPOD Program is a unique project at WISER to diversify the economics pipeline. Supported by generous funding from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation,...
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Jerry PenderBan the BoxOne of the most important benefits of ban-the-box on rental applications would be to increase the odds of obtaining public housing, which is more affordable than private rental units. For renters, many affordable housing programs such as Section 8 public housing or Section 41 housing projects will deny applications...
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Jerry PenderThe WNBA's Missing StarThe Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) All-Star Game will be missing one of its biggest stars, Brittney Griner. A seven-time All-Star, Griner was detained by Russian authorities in February for having vape cartridges containing marijuana concentrate hashish oil, an offense punishable by up to 10 years in a penal colony. Griner,...
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Himaja C. NimmagaddaReproductive FreedomAs of June 30th, these are the states in the United States in which abortion is entirely or mostly banned following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade last Friday, June 24, 2022. The states in burgundy have banned abortion in most cases. The states in blue have temporarily...
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Rhonda V. SharpePositives to NegativesWomen’s History Month is a time for me to celebrate another year of WISER’s existence. I reflect on what we’ve accomplished and get energized about our mission. But it is also the month that I am reminded of the many ways society does not value women like me. Usually, I...
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Jerry PenderMilitary MeritocracyOn March 11, another 150 soldiers departed from Hunter Army Airfield for Europe. Their mission is to train alongside military units of NATO allies in a display of force aimed at deterring further aggression by Russia. They will join the other nearly 12,000 U.S. service members ordered to Europe by...
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Rhonda V. SharpeIt Is Our 6th BirthdayImagine a gender equal world. A world with equal access to healthcare that produces equal health outcomes. A world with equal labor market and education opportunities. A world without gender identity normative behavior. A world where women are not the property of their families. A world...
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Rhonda V. SharpeAcceptable TradeoffsTradeoffs are a key concept I’ve taught in introductory and intermediate economics. Tradeoffs, both theoretically and practically, must be understood. For example, if you provide a woman access to the full scope of health care, which includes full access to reproductive health services, she controls when and if she has children,...
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Himaja C. NimmagaddaHow much for a bunch of onions?The conversation around poverty often lacks nuance. As per federal standards, even a penny above the threshold (poverty line) and you are no longer considered to be living in poverty. It takes more than a penny to fundamentally change living conditions, life expectancy, educational attainment, food, housing, and income insecurity.
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Jerry PenderFair Housing for AllWhile all ex-offenders could be at a greater risk of homelessness, women ex-offenders, in general, are particularly vulnerable. The effects could be insurmountable for minority women who are often released into low-income, disadvantaged communities. Furthermore, the explosion in the prison population over the last 20 years has drastically increased the...
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Jerry PenderA Supply Chain ApproachExpecting the market to self-correct due to the injection of temporary income boosters for teachers is a mistake. This article explains some of the issues in the child care industry that prevent it from operating in any sustainable way without intentional policies and procedures set in place to help the...
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Rhonda V. SharpeHappy Lunar New Year!It has been a year since President Biden signed the Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, requiring data disaggregation. Yet, CDC COVID-19 data still are not disaggregated in a way that allows policymakers to see how age, ethnicity, race, and gender...
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Rhonda V. SharpeFor the sake of my kids: I quitThe Employment Situation Summary for December will be released on Friday, January 7, 2021, and will allow us to analyze a full calendar year of employment changes during the pandemic. Many will be looking to see how women’s unemployment and labor force participation rates have changed. December’s numbers may also...
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Rhonda V. SharpeStoryboards and MathWorksAs the year comes to a close, we have good news. Leo Lee nominated WISER to receive a donation from MathWorks. At MathWorks, employees vote on which nonprofits received contributions. His colleagues watched the storyboard he created and voted. I am happy to announce that WISER received enough votes to receive a...
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Himaja C. NimmagaddaBeauty and The CasteThe politics of beauty pageants bring to question (Indian) society’s complicated relationship with Euro-centric aesthetic homogeneity. Code Switch by NPR tells us that decisions about who society holds up as beautiful also have a lot to do with class. Historian Nell Irvin Painter notes that many of the things we consider beautiful are just...
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Jerry PenderThe Hardest Work One Will Ever Have To DoA few weeks ago, on November 17, I was riding in my truck about 12:30 PM – 1 O’clock. A song came on the radio “100 Shots” by Young Dolph. Little did I know, as my friend and I were discussing the well-known rapper and his song, that Young Dolph would lose his...
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Rhonda V. SharpeGiving TuesdayToday is #GivingTuesday. I encourage you to donate to an organization making a difference for marginalized populations. I believe WISER is one of those organizations and would appreciate a donation. Meta is matching donations up to $8 mil, so check out Facebook for organizations to support. I have a Facebook donation page for WISER. However,...
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Rhonda V. SharpeGiving Thanks from Brunswick to WaukeshaI am thankful that more parade attendees were not killed in Waukesha, WI. I am thankful that the jury verdicts in the Kyle Rittenhouse vs. The State of Wisconsin and Gregory McMichael vs. The State of Georgia; Travis McMichael vs. the State of Georgia; and William Bryan Jr. vs. The State of Georgia did not lead to further unrest. I am...
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Rhonda V. SharpeMeasuring Economic DisparityTomorrow: Chairman Himes to Hold Bipartisan Select Committee Roundtable on Measuring Economic Disparity Nov 16, 2021Press Release Event Will Provide an Opportunity for Select Committee Members to Hear from Experts on the Measurement of Economic Well-Being WASHINGTON – Tomorrow, on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, from 10:00 – 11:30am ET, Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04), the...
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Jerry PenderHappy Veterans DayToday is Veterans Day in America. Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on November 11, 1919, to celebrate the anniversary of the end of World War I. In 1954, President Eisenhower officially changed the name to Veterans Day. Although Veterans Day is meant to celebrate both living and deceased American veterans, it’s...
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Himaja C. NimmagaddaHappy DiwaliThis year, Diwali occurs just after an election cycle, and who is elected will have implications for reproductive rights and reproductive justice. If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, it could put safe, legal abortion out of reach for one-third of women. Attacks on abortion access disproportionately affect lower-income Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native...
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Rhonda V. SharpeTrick or TreatToday, I participated in a webinar sponsored by the American Association for Blacks in Higher Education (AABHE). It was an opportunity to educate administrators, faculty, and graduate students about datasets that can be leveraged to increase access to higher education, advocate for or propose higher education policies, and advance promotion or...
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Himaja C. NimmagaddaNetflix, Squid Games, and A Gender GapYesterday, Rhonda was on the BBC’s Business Matters discussing South Korea’s potential lawsuit against Netflix. Squid Games, Netflix’s most recent success, overwhelmed South Korea’s broadband. While some have questioned if such a lawsuit violates net neutrality, she questioned the impact on creativity. Will Netflix continue to purchase scripts they believe will be a hit? If...
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Jerry PenderAn Unnecessary RoadblockWe find throughout history, policies that were meant for good can sometimes produce unexpected negative consequences. I believe two unrelated policies have created a vital roadblock to prosperity for families from lower-income communities. These policies play an important role in whether an increasing number of ex-offenders who are women will...
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Rhonda V. SharpeJust Checking InLast week, I did not send out a WISER on Wednesday as usual. Surprisingly, I didn’t receive an email or phone call asking why. I am fine. However, for the 20.6 million Americans age 55 plus who lived alone in 2019, a routine with someone checking on them is invaluable. On September...
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Rhonda V. SharpeHidden in the dataLast weekend we hosted the opening event for the Inclusive Peer Onsite Distance mentoring Program. Himaja told you about it in last week’s WISER Wednesday email. After the event, several students remained. I thought it was because they had questions, and some did. But many remained to hear me talk. One...
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Himaja C. NimmagaddaA StrengthLast night, I found the business card Rhonda gave me when we met a few years ago at a Women in Economics Conference hosted at the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank. It was a conference I was not even supposed to attend. I had been so bogged down in the weeks leading up to...
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Jerry PenderChild Care Workers“Number of child care workers declines in Georgia” – Courier Journal; “Staffing shortages wreak havoc on child care industry” – News 5 Cleveland; Iowa child care centers struggle to find staff” – KCRG. All over the country, the issue of adequate staffing continues to be a challenge for the child care industry. Unlike...
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Rhonda V. SharpePolicies Constrain ChoicesOn Sunday, Hurricane Ida made landfall in New Orleans as a Category 4 hurricane. The third hurricane to hit the Louisiana in a year. Last year when Hurricane Laura made landfall, Louisiana had one of the highest per capita COVID-19 infection rates. The same was true when Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana. It seems that some...
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Rhonda V. SharpeA fresh startYesterday was my first day back in the classroom since spring break 2020, March 5. To say I had reservations is an understatement. I had more anxiety about returning to the classroom during the pandemic than I remember having my first day as a newly minted Ph.D. entering the classroom at...
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Himaja C. NimmagaddaAre You Connected?Broadband access is finally getting the attention it has always needed. But even this is not enough. A survey conducted in November 2019 by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration takes a look at the digital divide– which refers to the gap between individuals’, households’, and businesses’ opportunities to access information and...
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Rhonda V. SharpeHidden in the aggregateIt is officially Summer! Educators, students, and parents have made it through another year of virtual, hybrid, and in-person teaching (social distancing and masked). Woo! Woo! It is the time of year when I'd be attending the International Association for Feminist Economists (IAFFE) annual conference, which is being held in Quito,...
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Rhonda V. SharpeThe Truth Shall Set You FreeI hope many of you had an opportunity to catch either the “Data Infrastructure for the 21st Century: A Focus on Racial Equity” webinar or “Democracy, Race, and Justice: The Speeches and Writing of Sadie T.M. Alexander” book launch webinar. But if you missed it, allow me to do a...
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Rhonda V. SharpeFairness is the Right of the Weakest - UnknownTomorrow marks the 58th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act of 1963. Yesterday, the Senate failed to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which “addresses wage discrimination on the basis of sex, which is defined to include pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.” My takeaway from the WISER Dialogue with Alicia Netterville is that legislation...
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Rhonda V. SharpeWe Are a Landscape of All We Have Seen. Isamu NoguchiI am excited to announce that our partnership with Howard University’s Economics Department to provide inclusive, peer, on-site, and distance (IPOD) mentoring received a $1.9 million grant from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. This funding will allow WISER to support alumni of the American Economic Association Summer Training Program with professional development...
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Rhonda V. SharpeThe beauty of disaggregating dataOver the past week, I had the opportunity to share my thoughts about disaggregating data as a guest on NPR’s Marketplace, as part of the Equity Series Panel, “Measuring What we Value: Bridging Gaps in Data and Reporting on Race and Ethnicity,” Ways and Means Committee, and as a guest on the Malveaux...
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Rhonda V. SharpeFortified with GraceYesterday, I was also a panelist for the “Helping Women Get Back to Work” webinar sponsored by the MOSAIC Project and Progressive Policy Institute. Senator Gillibrand kicked off the webinar, and I was thrilled to hear her speak about “care” work as inclusive of parental care. Veronica Goodman, the moderator, asked...
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Rhonda V. SharpeTrue restorationThe verdict – Chauvin is guilty of all charges. Attorney Ellison reminded us that “justice implies true restoration.” George Floyd’s life was not restored with the verdict. The Floyd family was not restored with the verdict. Yesterday shortly after the verdict was read, a Columbus police officer shot and killed teenager Ma’Khia Bryant. Justice is what...
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Rhonda V. SharpeUniquely situated to speak about who?When I am asked to speak, it is often about issues that affect Black women. I remind the person extending the invitation that we are not B-WISER, the Black Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race. But recently, I have been thinking. Can I speak about Asian, Hispanic, Native American, and...
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Himaja C. NimmagaddaA Silent SymbolMillennial and Gen-Z Asian Americans are more likely to speak out against violence and racism than their parents or grandparents, whose generations have held closely to the perceived safety of the “model minority.” That title was given to Asian Americans in the mid-1960s by politicians who wanted to encourage division among minority...
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Rhonda V. SharpeExpanding the Definition of a Hate CrimeThis week, we released a short brief about Southeast Asian women, written by Himaja Nimmagadda. She points out that the failure to disaggregate data erases the lived experiences of Asians who come to America as immigrants vs. refugees. These differences can be seen in education attainment and occupations within the...
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Rhonda V. SharpeSticks and Stones May Break My BonesWe were all saddened and horrified by last night’s mass murder of a man and seven women, six of whom were Asian, at three massage parlors in Atlanta. This tragedy is another example of both the violence against women during the pandemic and the increased violence against Asian Americans. The...
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Rhonda V. Sharpe"With Better Data and Increased Awareness..."On International Women’s Day 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order on Establishment of the White House Gender Policy Council. Couple this with the Executive Order for Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, and I am optimistic that we may see a change in the way data...
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Rhonda V. SharpeHappy International Women's DayThe theme for International Women’s Day 2021 is #ChooseToChallenge. Five years ago, I chose to challenge the way women-focused research is done and created the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race. On social media, we posted the following We My conversation with Nicole MartinRogers, Senior Research Manager, Wilder Research, is available on YouTube. Nicole shares...
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Rhonda V. Sharpe5 Days 'til WISER is 5!On Monday, WISER will celebrate its 5th birthday! Below is a snippet from my conversation with Nicole MartinRogers about the importance of disaggregating data. Click the picture to watch. I’ll share the full video on Monday, International Women’s Day. Be well,Rhonda
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Rhonda V. SharpeSomething To Think About Besides HomeworkThe conversation about k-12 schools reopening is an opportunity to revisit essential vs. expendable workers. Education Week data shows that in 20 states, teachers are not a profession given priority for the vaccine (See map below). We’ve been in this pandemic for over a year, and yet teachers who deliver education (learning),...
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Rhonda V. SharpeWe Are All in This TogetherRecently, discussion about the stimulus (relief) check has focused on income thresholds. Before I move on, let me first define a stimulus check versus a relief check. The purpose of a “stimulus check is to increase demand from consumers and grow the economy. A “relief check” is a subsidy to replace...
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Rhonda V. SharpeLet's Celebrate All YearIt is Black History Month! This month we see a myriad of facts and figures about the Blacks in America, much of which will be focused on American Descendants of Slaves (#ADOS). Recently, when talking to a former Board member, I expressed disappointment about not being invited to give a keynote...
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Rhonda V. SharpeSitting With the UncomfortableA study conducted with Omari Swinton, Chair of the Economics Department at Howard, found that most students who complete the doctorate in economics also studied economics as undergrads. Therefore, increasing the diversity of the undergraduate degrees conferred in economics has consequences for those who complete the doctorate in economics.
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Rhonda V. SharpeWhose Shoulders Do You Stand On?Usually, this time of year, I am euphoric. I’d be returning home from attending the Allied Social Sciences Association meetings, the annual get-together of economists. I know what you’re thinking–it sounds like a good time. The meetings allow me to interact with Black and feminist economists and hear young...
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Rhonda V. Sharpe"Ring out the false, ring in the true." —Alfred Lord Tennyson"Is it possible that the square root of impossible is me?"—“Square Root of Possible," Jingle Jangle When I started WISER in March 2016, it felt like an impossible dream. WISER will celebrate its 5th anniversary in March 2021. WE will continue to focus our energy on building a new standard for...
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Rhonda V. Sharpe"Giving Is Not Just About Making a Donation."On this eve of Christmas Eve, we celebrate the arrival of vaccines from several pharmaceutical companies and the signing of a much-needed COVID relief bill. Yet, we cannot gloss over the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on Asian, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous American, and Multiracial women. The pandemic has led to job...
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Rhonda V. Sharpe"Everything stinks till it’s finished," said Dr. SeussI have been a bit perplexed about the response to Joseph Epstein's op-ed suggesting the following: "As for your Ed.D., Madame First Lady, hard-earned though it may have been, please consider stowing it, at least in public, at least for now. Forget the small thrill of being Dr. Jill and settle for the...
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Rhonda V. SharpeWho Is In Your Clinical Trial?Yesterday, I was interviewed about the medical mistrust among the African-American community concerning the COVID-19 vaccine. Mr. Hoggard had interviewed me earlier in the summer about a study on North Carolina's sterilization program. A population that I am concerned about are those with sickle cell disease (SCD). According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC),...
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Rhonda V. Sharpe#GivingTuesdayToday is #GivingTuesday, the unofficial day for giving to nonprofits, charitable organizations, and other NGOs. The Salvation Army has seen an increase in requests for support and a decrease in donations. As COVID-19 cases continue to increase, the potential for another shutdown is likely in our future; therefore, families supported by the Salvation...
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Rhonda V. SharpeHappy ThanksgivingToday, I am thankful that transition funds have been released and that an effective vaccine is in America’s near future. And yet, I am saddened by the rising number of Americans who will be thankful to be alive after contracting the coronavirus. If you are traveling to celebrate Thanksgiving, please...
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Rhonda V. SharpeMakes Me Want To HollerI’ve avoided talking about the elephants in the room, the election, and the increase in COVID-19 cases. But the daily reports of the status of a coronavirus vaccine, the increase in COVID-19 cases, which includes over one million children, and the President’s unwillingness to concede and begin the transition process...
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Rhonda V. SharpeHow Do You Model Inclusion?This morning, during my Business Statistics class, I checked in with my students about election results. As we’ve just finished creating confidence intervals, the results were a good starting point. Students commented about the sample used for the polls versus who voted. I am happy to report that their answers...
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Rhonda V. SharpeThe World Is a Brilliant, Resilient PlaceMonday night, as I watched Judge Amy Coney Barrett take the official Constitutional Oath, a sadness rushed over me. I shared with a graduate school classmate that the possibility of Roe v. Wade being sent back to the states was terrifying to me. My classmate replied, I think women my age know better...
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Rhonda V. SharpeEconomic and Educational OutcomesIt has been an exciting week. On Monday, I participated in a webinar hosted by the Progress Policy Institute’s Mosiac Initiative titled, “Bringing Diversity to Economic Thought.” On Friday, I will lead a discussion for the Lehigh-Northampton Chapter of Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children on how quality, affordable child care is an essential...
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Rhonda V. SharpeHispanic vs. LatinoOctober 15th concludes Hispanic Heritage Month. I’d hope to share a WISER Dialogue video with Dr. Nancy Lopez, but we encountered a glitch with the recording. So instead, I’ll share three key points from our conversation. Hispanic is used to identify people of Spanish ancestry or colonization; therefore, it is an ethnicity,...
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Rhonda V. SharpeFamily Care Plus Work In A PandemicThe consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic seem to be never-ending. The death toll is likely to be 215,000 American lives lost by weeks end. The death toll was 211K as of today. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 12.6 million Americans were unemployed in September, increasing 4.4 percentage points since February. Or 6.8 million...
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Rhonda V. SharpeBLS Disaggregate The DataWe are nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, and today was the first day that I felt a sense of despair. This morning, I told my students it really feels like “Hump Day.” I suspect some of the gloom I feel stems from the presidential debate, some from the anticipation...
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Rhonda V. SharpeTurning An Impediment To Good FortuneAs the body of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in state at the Supreme Court Building, many will come to pay their final respects and to reflect on her life. I, however, am thinking about the history of the court and the voices that have been absent as justices. In...
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Rhonda V. SharpeLending A Helping HandYesterday, I spent time with my little friend, Kaylee. It was her sister’s first day of online school, and Kaylee didn’t want to be a distraction. Kaylee attends school in a different district, and the first day of school for older children, 3rd graders and above is today. Kaylee and I did...
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Rhonda V. SharpeHumble vs. HumiliationBut I am also reminded that many this Labor Day weekend will have worked hard and will still find themselves without health care coverage to receive treatment for any illness, not just COVID-19. They will have worked hard and will find themselves without an adequate unemployment system to replace wages. ...
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Rhonda V. SharpeExtend PUA: Protect the Most Vulnerable AmericansOn Monday, the Trump administration instituted a freeze on temporary work visas and extended the ban on green cards issued outside the United States until 2021. The ban applies to new applications for H-1B visas, which allow companies to hire tech and other skilled workers, and H-2B visas for nonagricultural seasonal...
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Rhonda V. SharpeA Perfect StormOn Saturday, we kicked off our WISER Women Campaign! The WISER Women Campaign has several goals and ways you can support our efforts. You can support us financially. This year we are asking our community, “Has a woman been influential in your life?” Who is the first woman you think of? Consider donating an...
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Rhonda V. SharpeBuilding a WISER Generation of WomenOn Saturday, we kicked off our WISER Women Campaign! The WISER Women Campaign has several goals and ways you can support our efforts. You can support us financially. This year we are asking our community, “Has a woman been influential in your life?” Who is the first woman you think of? Consider...
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Rhonda V. SharpeDefining who is vulnerableAs the pandemic raged, our focus shifted from those with fragile health to the economically vulnerable. We applauded, despite some shortcoming, the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided $1,200 to economically vulnerable individuals and families, support for businesses under the Payroll Protection Plan...
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Rhonda V. SharpeGuess What Day It Is?We kick off “WISER Wednesday” with the blog Health Insurance Coverage for Immigrant Hispanic Women in the U.S. written by summer research assistant Khushi Basnyat. Khushi examines the health care coverage for immigrant Hispanic women and why the Health Equity and Access under the Law (HEAL) for Immigrant Women and Families Act, introduced...
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Rhonda V. SharpeStatement of SolidarityI am delighted to report that 1,800 people registered for the webinar, “Rebuilding the House That Anti-Blackness Built in Our COVID Response.” You can watch the webinar here. I was quoted in a New York Times article and will be a guest on NPR’s “Marketplace” on Monday evening. I’ll be talking about the...
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Rhonda V. SharpeRegister Today: Rebuilding the House that Racism Built in Our COVID ResponseJoin us in a webinar led by Black and Brown women, and hear findings from the Economic Policy Institute’s upcoming report, which highlights the economic and health insecurity that COVID-19 presents for Black workers and their families and why that unequal burden was predictable given a long history of racial...
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Rhonda V. SharpeOur Summer InternsI'd like to introduce WISER's summer interns. Khushi Basnyat was born in Lalitpur, Nepal but now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. Valentina Castellar is a first-generation immigrant/college student from Ibagué, Colombia, majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Music and Chinese Studies at the University of Richmond. shley Zehrt was born in Mobile, Alabama and raised in Virginia....
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Rhonda V. SharpeCares' Act Round TwoOn Friday, I Tweeted that none of the news stories or reports I could find mentioned that White women were disproportionately represented in the unemployment numbers for April. A New York Times article and National Women’s Law Center fact sheet both focused on the share of unemployment that was women, 55%, and on the unemployment rate...
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Rhonda V. SharpeHappy Mother's DayFriday’s unemployment report showed 20.5 million Americans lost their jobs for the month of April, bringing the unemployment rate to 14.7%, the highest ever. Women lost over 12 mil jobs, which can be explained by the job loss in four sectors that employ a large share of women. Hospitality lost 7.7...
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Rhonda V. SharpeToday is #GivingTuesdayNowToday is #GivingTuesdayNow. Please remember to support a nonprofit proving assistance to essential workers. It is also #NationalTeachersDay We celebrate teachers, who during this health crisis, continue to teach and mentor students. ” We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that...
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Rhonda V. Sharpe#GivingTuesdayNowAs states begin to re-open, some will see the increased economic activity as a sign that things will soon be back to normal. However, as Jhumpa Bhattacharya noted in a recent conference call, we do not want to return to “normal.” We want better than normal. Ideally, we want policies that will eliminate...
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Rhonda V. SharpeEssential Workers and COVID-19Last week, I was a guest along with economist Gary Hoover on That Rona Special part 2 – Econ. Gary and I discussed several topics, including the wealth gap. As homeownership is where most individuals hold their wealth, I suggested that homeownership affords owners a form of protection from COVID-19 in...
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Rhonda V. SharpeEquitable Data Collection and InterpretationThis week, Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced the bicameral Equitable Data Collection and Disclosure on COVID-19 Act, which would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect and report racial and other demographic data on COVID-19 testing, treatment, and fatality rates. Additionally,...
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Rhonda V. SharpeInstitutional Racism and DataThe week preceding Easter is called Holy Week. But for many in Detroit, New York City, and New Orleans, it was a grim week as the death toll from COVID-19 set records for consecutive days. On Maundy Thursday, the commemoration of the Last Supper, the number of deaths in New...
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Rhonda V. SharpeFood Injustices and COVID-19In addition to sobering unemployment numbers released today, North Carolina’s Durham Public Schools announced that effective April 7 it will cancel meal distribution due to a worker testing positive for COVID-19. Johnson County Public Schools (also in North Carolina) will discontinue its meal service beginning April 8. North Carolina joins a...
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Rhonda V. SharpeHappy Holidays from the Women's Institute for Science, Equity and RaceAs we wrap-up 2019, I have good news to share. Board Member Rebecca Dixon has been selected to serve as the Executive Director of the National Employment Law Project. Board Member Tamara Jeffries and I were selected as 33 scholars you should know in a Black Enterprise article. I am also excited to have...
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Rhonda V. SharpeWISER's 2017 Year in ReviewThe Women's Institute for Science, Equity and Race hosted "WISER Dialogue: Defining a Policy Agenda for Women of Color." This title reflects WISER’s mission to encourage the creation of more inclusive public policy. The convening brought together eight experts that focus on entrepreneurship; tech eco-systems; racial, ethnic and gender inequality;...
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Rhonda V. SharpeThe Grinch Stole Some Paragraphs - Happy HolidazeIn the busyness of the season and learning a new e-mail system, you received a newsletter that had very confusing first and second paragraphs. Please accept my apology. The errors have been corrected.Then he got an idea! An awful idea! The Grinch got a wonderful, awful idea! “I know just what to...
Blogs
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Jerry PenderFemale Federal Arrests and Booking Trends 2000 - 2021Introduction This study examines changes in arrest rates for women from 2000-2021, which captures changes during the Great Recession, recovery, and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We seek to identify changes in arrest rates for women that may reveal disparities by race, thereby providing support for criminal justice reform...
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Jerry PenderBan-the-Box: A View from the Labor and Housing MarketsMore and more citizens in our country are permanently losing the ability to fulfill some of their basic needs. These are individuals with past criminal histories. Historically, men have made up the bulk of the prison population, but research indicates that the number of incarcerated women increased from 26,378 in...
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Zaria RollerWomen’s Financial Wellbeing during the COVID-19 PandemicEconomic inequality has persisted throughout American history but need not be accepted as the norm. The economic fallout of the pandemic has been far from equal across gender, income level, and race/ethnicity. High unemployment, income disparities, wealth gaps, and other demographic factors have left women particularly vulnerable during this economic...
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Mary Kate KnoellRepealing Hyde for Reproductive JusticeIn discussions over women’s reproductive health, there can be confusion between reproductive rights and reproductive justice. Reproductive rights are enforced by the legal regulations that guarantee women access to reproductive health services. Reproductive rights activists fail to address the wider range of reproductive issues women face, such as choices for...
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Himaja C. NimmagaddaDisaggregating Data Provides Key Insights on Southeast Asian Immigrant WomenOn his first day in office, President Biden signed the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. This order should be recognized as a significant step in tailoring policy to creating equitable solutions for all – not just those who are white...
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Valentina CastellarThe Final Rule: Students and Lawyers Share Their PerspectivesThe new Title IX “Final Rule,” released in early May 2020, was a disappointment for many Title IX advocates. We are deeply concerned that the introduction of live testimony and cross-examination of the accused and accuser, as a means of increasing due process, will place an unfair burden on low-income...
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Rhonda V. SharpeExtend PUA: Protect the Most Vulnerable AmericansOn Monday, the Trump administration instituted a freeze on temporary work visas and extended the ban on green cards issued outside the United States until 2021. The ban applies to new applications for H-1B visas, which allow companies to hire tech and other skilled workers, and H-2B visas for nonagricultural seasonal...
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Ashley ZehrtA Perfect Storm: Hurricane Season, a Global Pandemic, and Immigrant PopulationsThe COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly every facet of life, including critical hurricane season provisions made by emergency preparedness managers. Forecast models lean toward an Above-Normal 2020 hurricane season (June 1 – Nov 30) in the Atlantic Basin. While emergency preparedness leaders advise citizens to view shelters as a last...
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Rhonda V. SharpeIncome Share Agreements are debt: Maybe even predatoryVenture capital firms looking for new ways to squeeze money out of low-income communities have found a fresh brand of pig lipstick, which they call “income share agreements” or ISAs.The pushers of the deceptively named ISAs, including venture capitalists from Silicon Valley and the nonprofit Student Freedom Initiative, pitch the...
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Khushi X. BasnyatRefugee Resettlement Amidst COVID-19June 20th is World Refugee Day—a day to raise awareness about providing protection for refugees. This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the Refugee Act of 1980, a bipartisan law signed by President Carter that created the process and procedures for resettlement, established a determination of annual refugee admissions,...
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Rhonda V. SharpeHealth Insurance Coverage for Immigrant Hispanic Women in the U.S.The HEAL Act would provide access to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for documented immigrants. Two out of every five immigrant Hispanic women (40% or 2.35 million) in the U.S. did not have health insurance (Fig. 1). This was a higher rate than White, Black, Asian, and...
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Rhonda V. SharpeDisaggregate Data for a More Inclusive SocietyLast August, I wrote, “Institutionalized exclusion is not just entrenched in the equitable access to quality education, employment, healthcare, housing, and a host of other goods and services, but is also rooted in how data are collected and reported.” When the headlines read “In N.Y.C., the Coronavirus Is Killing Men at...
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Rhonda V. SharpeShow Me The Data, But Disaggregate It FirstLast week, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Elizabeth Warren requested comprehensive demographic data on people tested and treated for COVID-19. The legislators cited racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes as the rationale for the request. But their request does not go far enough. While all federally funded research should report data by race,...
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Nina E. BanksThe Food Injustices of COVID-19 on Black CommunitiesLow-income, low-access (LILA) households in both urban and rural areas are often in communities referred to as “food deserts”—areas that lack access to foods that provide for a nutritionally adequate diet of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meat, and high-quality dairy.
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Rachel Chou7 Inspiring Documentaries and Books about Women of Color for Women’s History MonthWomen’s history month is a reminder that we should ruminate on the legacies that women history makers have left for us. Here are seven inspiring documentaries and books about women of color that can be watched or read any time of the year.
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Rhonda V. SharpeDon't Call it "Magic"By Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe There was a time when hearing the phrase, “Black Girl Magic” made me beam with pride. Not anymore. The truth is there is nothing “magical” about what Black women accomplish. Dr. Willene Johnson reminded attendees at the 2019 Inaugural Sadie T. M. Alexander Conference that before we were...
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Rhonda V. SharpeInclusive Yoga ResearchBy Tamara Y. Jeffries When I welcome new students to my yoga classes, the first thing they want to know is what it’s going to do for them. “Will I lose weight?” “Will it end my depression?” “Will it fix my ADHD?” I tell them yoga can help many health conditions,...
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Rhonda V. SharpeMath Isn’t the Only PathMath has become the metric for being “gifted.” As if the ability to string words together to articulate your thoughts and awaken the reader's imagination is not a sign of “genius.” It is the brilliant prose of Margot Lee Shetterly that brought the stories of Katherine, Dorothy, and Mary to...
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proferdousGrandparents Day 9/7Dear WISER Community,Let me start by expressing my gratitude for your continued support. Thank you for your donations. Our WISER Women campaign exceeded our goal and raised $5,780. Thank you for the time you give reading our emails and for the kind words of support you send. Your support energizes Himaja, Jerry,...
WISER Dialogue
Conversations with Women of Color
WISER Dialogue are thought provoking conversations with women of color about issues, policies, and research that impact our lives. WISER Dialogue elevates the voices of Asian, Black, Hispanic and Indigenous American women by including their viewpoint.