Join former Chief Economist of the Social Security Administration and Jason Fichtner to discuss retirement security policy, sharing innovative ideas to ensure Social Security’s viability through a reinvigorated system for financial security in later life.
Category: Economic & Social Justice
Families in Crisis: Research and Policy Solutions for Ending Family Homelessness
Join us for a policy briefing to address the ‘invisible crisis’ of family homelessness in the U.S.
Brown School hosts inaugural professional development summit on policy and equity
On October 18-19, the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis marked a major milestone with the launch of its first-ever two-day professional development summit, Policy and Equity: Collaborative Frameworks for Inclusive Change. The event allowed attendees to choose between two specialized tracks: one focusing on advocacy strategies and the other on data and […]
Macro United 2025
Join social work educators, students, and practitioners at all levels of practice to participate for a collaborative 3-day event focused on the future of the profession and the complex existing and emerging social problems we face.
Driving A People-Powered Agenda in St. Louis
Dr. Kia Lilly Caldwell, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Diversity and Professor of African & African American Studies, moderated a panel discussion with leaders in Missouri and beyond who are working to transform our democracy and economy.
Missouri just raised the minimum wage. But is it enough to help working families?
This policy alert was authored by Rebecca Feeney, practicum student at the Clark-Fox Policy Institute. Beginning January 1, 2024, the Missouri minimum wage increased to $12.30/hour for most workers. The increase follows a 2018 referendum that raised the minimum wage to $12/hour over five years and will continue to adjust the minimum wage every following […]
Black History Month Closes with Renowned Author
Author Vivian Gibson discussed her moving memoir, The Last Children of Mill Creek, which was selected by the Library of Congress to represent Missouri’s literary heritage at its National Book Festival.
Heather McGhee on the Myth of Equity as a Zero-Sum Game
2024 Distinguished Visiting Scholar Heather McGhee spoke about “The Sum of Us: Moving Beyond the Myth of Equity as a Zero-Sum Game.”
2023 Racial Equity Summit Sparks Ideas and Builds Momentum for Change
The 2023 St. Louis Racial Equity Summit brought together more than 750 advocates, activists, and allies committed to addressing systemic inequities from education to housing to healthcare and beyond. For three days, attendees explored the theme of “Together We Rise: The Power of Community,” featuring thought-provoking presentations and conversations focused on the signature priorities of […]
Patchwork Apartheid: Private Restriction, Racial Segregation, and Urban Inequality
Professor Colin Gordon writes on the history of American public policy and political economy. His book “Patchwork Apartheid: Private Restriction, Racial Segregation, and Urban Inequality,” on the use of racial convenants in the Midwest, including St. Louis and St. Louis County, is scheduled to come out next month.
INsights Discusses Advancing People of Color at Nonprofits
Last month, the Berges Family Foundation Conference Center at Delmar DivINe hosted the latest iteration of INsights. Co-sponsored by the Clark-Fox Policy Institute, Center for Human Service Leadership (CHSL), and Delmar DivINe, the session was titled “From Ally to Co-Conspirator: Advancing People of Color in Nonprofit Leadership.” Leslie Gill, president of Rung For Women, and the agency’s […]
Advocacy & Allyship: Towards a More Racially Just St. Louis
(March 2022) As part of the Brown School’s Black History Month celebration, the Clark-Fox Policy Institute co-hosted “Advocacy & Allyship: Towards a More Racially Just St. Louis”. Over 240 viewers from across the region joined some of the most respected local Black leaders to discuss the gains made, the challenges that remain, and ways in which everyone can contribute to the movement […]
Structural Change in Action
A Webinar Series Produced By Leading Macro Social Work Organizations Watch the Structural Change in Action webinar here. Tuesday, July 19, 202212:30pm — 1:30pm CST 1:30pm — 2:30pm EST Featuring the recipient of the Inaugural 2022 Jack Rothman Award for Structural ChangeBobbie SackmanFair Pay for Home Care: Campaign of the New York Caring Majority (NYCM) Bobbie […]
COVID-19 and Race: The High Price of Economic Injustice
[Recording available here] Research suggests that Black and Hispanic individuals are among the groups likely to experience large increases in poverty rates as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In St. Louis, the Black median household income has remained at nearly half of the White household income since 2005. Combined with healthcare costs, furloughs and […]
Poverty and Race: The Other St. Louis, with Wes Moore
Join us for a discussion with renowned author Wes Moore, as we explore the interconnectedness of poverty and race, and a collaborative approach to advancing equity and economic prosperity in the region. Wes Moore is the CEO of Robin Hood, one of the largest anti-poverty forces in the nation. He is a bestselling author, a […]
Housing First Puts Children First
Addressing family homelessness is a complex challenge that demands an array of interventions. Children are particularly vulnerable since housing instability – such as homelessness and frequent moves – increases the likelihood that they will experience adverse consequences related to health, behavioral and educational outcomes. One approach that may be helping to end homelessness among families […]
To Eat or to Heat – Proposed Change Reduces Food Benefits for Families
Over the past year, the Trump administration has proposed a series of changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that would systematically prevent millions of Americans from receiving needed benefits. The most recent adjustment would alter the way utilities costs are calculated in order to determine eligibility. The change could mean that nearly one […]
Protecting Children’s Rights: The Detriments of Detaining Children
Violence in the Northern Triangle region of Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras) has prompted thousands of individuals, families and unaccompanied minors to seek protection and asylum in the United States – many arriving by way of the U.S./Mexican border. As of July 22, 2019, approximately 10,000 Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs) were in care […]
Make Work Work
Missouri is home to many hard working families who are struggling to make ends meet. They take pride in working and in raising their children. Unfortunately, low wages and limited access to quality child care puts an incredible strain on families across the state. The Clark-Fox Policy Institute’s first report, Make Work Work: Strengthening Missouri […]
Visioning Equity: Writing the Story of an Equitable St. Louis
An Evening with Nicole Hudson, Deputy Mayor for Racial Equity and Priority Initiatives for the City of St. Louis Wednesday, June 13, 2018, Clark-Fox Forum | The Brown School5:00 pm | Reception6:00 pm | Presentation Tragic and highly politicized events in the past several years have brought to light deep-rooted racism and inequities in our region. Through her work with the […]
Human Trafficking and the Impact on Children and Families: A Congressional Briefing
NOVEMBER 14, 2017, 3:00 – 4:30 PMCAPITOL BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D.C. The Clark-Fox Policy Institute at the Brown School, in cooperation with the Human Trafficking Collaborative Network (HTCN), housed in the Institute for Public Health, is leading a delegation of Missouri researchers, advocates, representatives from law enforcement, service providers and survivors to Capitol Hill to bring […]
Misguided and Misdiagnosed: Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System
Misguided and Misdiagnosed: Mental Health and the Criminal Justice SystemFriday, February 9, 2018, 2:30 – 4:00 pmClark-Fox Forum, Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis On any given day in the United States, between 300,000 and 400,000 people with mental illnesses are incarcerated in jails and prisons. All too often people with untreated mental […]
Credit Where It’s Due: Establishing an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for Missouri’s working families in need
The federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has become one of the United States’ most effective programs for combatting poverty experienced by low-income working families. The EITC has garnered broad bi-partisan support, in large part because it encourages and rewards work. In 2015, low-income working families received an average EITC of $3,186, allowing them to […]
Bouncing Between Homes: Hypermobility and its impact on children’s education and communities at large
Low-income families living in disinvested areas are more likely to live in unstable housing. Their living situations are often characterized by overcrowding, disrepair, and decreased affordability and safety. Such families move frequently, not necessarily to better their situation, but because circumstances offer no other choice. Financial stress forces families to make housing tradeoffs – sacrificing […]
Food for Thought: Food insecurity undermines learning outcomes and academic success
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) plays a critical role in lifting children and families out of poverty, ameliorating the harmful effects of food insecurity. SNAP is the most effective government-run program to address hunger in the United States. It has been shown to improve child health, mental health, development, and growth, and to promote […]
Justice for Juveniles: Raising the Age for Inclusion in Juvenile Courts
May 2018 Justice for Juveniles: Raising the Age for Inclusion in Juvenile Courts Over the past 10 years, many states that previously prosecuted 16- and 17-year-old offenders in the adult judicial system have raised the age to 18. This trend has occurred in response to a growing body of research demonstrating the harmful effects of […]
Missouri Law Undermines Equity in Housing and Education
Missouri Law Undermines Equity in Housing and Education U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development extends deadline to May In 2017, legislation passed in Missouri that weakened the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA), making it more difficult to prove discrimination. The modification to the MHRA by Senate Bill 43 formed the basis of the NAACP’s […]
Harvest Box – Return to Sender!
Harvest Box – Return to Sender! President Trump’s 2019 budget proposes significant alterations to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which could result in an estimated eligibility cut for at least 4 million people, and reduce program funding by $213 billion over the next ten years. As described in a previous Clark-Fox Policy Institute policy brief, SNAP plays a […]