The Black Scholars Index

Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

Posted on 31. Jul, 2009 by Leshell Hatley in Places of Scholarly Work, Scholarly Celebrations

Founded in 1970

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is a national, nonprofit research and public policy institution. Founded in 1970 as the Joint Center for Political Studies by black intellectuals and professionals to provide training and technical assistance to newly elected black officials, the Joint Center is recognized today as one of the nation’s premier think tanks on a broad range of public policy issues of concern to African Americans and other communities of color.

The Black Scholars Index will highlight several founders in upcoming features! So, stay tuned!

The Joint Center’s research and policy priorities are guided largely by issues of current concern to the African American community and other communities of color. The work is carried out by a team of nationally recognized experts, including both resident staff and consultants. From the days when the Joint Center focused primarily on providing technical assistance and policy information to public officials and policy experts in the United States and abroad, we have evolved into a dynamic “think tank” that objectively and thoroughly examines the impact of a wide range of policies and programs on African Americans. Today, our principal areas of work fall into seven categories:

Military Affairs
For over 20 years, the Joint Center has hosted an Army officer through its participation in the Army’s Senior Service College Fellows Program. Fewer than 20 universities, government agencies, and think tanks around the country participate in the program. The senior officers selected must be among the top 25 percent of their peer group. During his or her year in residence at the Joint Center, each fellow conducts research that is viewed as potentially beneficial to both the Army and Joint Center. The daily presence of these military fellows at the Joint Center creates an opportunity for an exchange of ideas within the Joint Center and the Army’s officer corps.

Founder - Louis E. Martin Served from 1970 to 1997

International Affairs
Since 1980, the Joint Center has worked to increase the involvement of African Americans and other minorities in international affairs and to raise the visibility of Africa and policies affecting the continent and the African diaspora.

Economic Advancement
Economic advancement plays a crucial role in the ability of African Americans to achieve equality. The Joint Center’s three areas of economic study include: Income and Poverty, Employment and Training, and Minority Business Development.

Emerging Leadership
From the very beginning, the Joint Center has been committed to providing guidance and training to emerging leaders in the African American community, particularly those in the public sector. This work continues today as a new generation of leaders emerge.

Founder - Dr. Kenneth B. Clark Served from 1970 to 2005

Social Policy
The Joint Center engages in a number of social policies that impact the economic advancement and political participation of African Americans, especially arts engagement, juvenile justice, youth development, the state of young black males in Washington, D.C. and community-based racial reconciliation.

Political Participation
The Joint Center’s work on African American’s Political Participation is widely acknowledged as among the best in the field. Our work includes the roster of Black Elected Officials, national opinion polls of African Americans, as well as work on voting rights and Redistricting issues.

Health Policy Institute
The Joint Center Health Policy Institute (HPI) is a pioneering program of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. HPI’s research, publications, activities, and projects are designed to accelerate progress beyond listing and analyzing a litany of health disparities. Rather, they are directed toward collective strategies that will produce real change—and real opportunities for health.

The history of the Joint Center has not only reflected the progress African Americans have made since the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, but has also mirrored the nation’s political and socio-economic progress over the last three decades. When the Joint Center first opened its doors, there were 1,469 black elected officials (BEOs). There are now over 9,500 BEOs in the United States.

President & CEO - Ralph Everett

Increasing black political participation formed the foundation of much of the Joint Center’s work during the 70′s and the 80′s. However, as the civil rights era gave way to the era of “economic rights,” the Joint Center signaled its expanding focus on job creation and workforce development and changed its name to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. The principle areas of work now include political participation, economic advancement, and health policy. The Joint Center stands primed to continue to drive the nation’s public policy discussions with independent and reliable research, analysis, and assessment.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Joint Center is governed by a board of governors.

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