CRSP Update

The staff and associates of the Center on Race and Social Problems (CRSP) continue to work hard to provide a forum for addressing America’s defining social problem: race. The activities in which we engage seem to be needed now even more than they were when CRSP was launched in 2002. Ironically, only a short time ago, many believed that our country had moved into a post-racial era. Unfortunately, their beliefs were premature. But we remain undaunted in our efforts to bring about a more perfect America, and we could not continue our efforts without the support of so many at the University of Pittsburgh and in the larger Pittsburgh community. So we want to give thanks to all of you who have helped to build and sustain the center.

Fall Speaker Series

Our speaker series continues to attract very large, diverse audiences. Thanks to the generosity of the law firms Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC and Reed Smith LLP,
we are able to offer outstanding rosters of scholars and practitioners who share the most up-to-date data, research findings, and thinking on race and social problems. It also
is because of the generous support of these two law firms that the center is able to provide complimentary lunches to speaker series attendees. Since the start of the 2016–17 speaker series, we have invited all lecture attendees to bring nonperishable food items with them, and we then pass those items on to a local food bank.

Journal Readership

Our journal, Race and Social Problems, has become a
highly successful publication in the social sciences. It is a multidisciplinary and multiracial journal. It has just this year received an impact score from Thomas Reuters via Journal Citation Reports, which indicates that it is well read by scholars. The June 2018 issue included articles examining connections among political affiliation, racial resentment, and intimate relationships. Access to the journal can be found via the center’s Web site, crsp.pitt.edu.

Thursday, September 20

“The Causes and Consequences of 21st-century Segregation”

Douglas S. Massey, Henry G. Bryant Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University

Wednesday, October 24

“Education Is Not Enough to Close the Racial Wealth Gap”

Danyelle Solomon, Senior Director, Race and Ethnicity Policy, Center for American Progress

Wednesday, November 14

“Measuring and Projecting Race and Ethnicity”

Howard Hogan, Chief Demographer, U.S. Census Bureau

Wednesday, December 12

“Punishment, Race, and Social Bonds: A History of Law Enforcement in America”
Ekow N. Yankah, Professor of Law, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University

Summer Institutes

This summer, we held three successful Summer Institutes. On June 6, the annual Race and Child Welfare institute focused on the opioid crisis. Opioid overdose is now one

of the leading causes of death for young adults, whose children often end up in the child welfare system. On July 11, Pittsburgh Black elected officials provided an in-depth analysis of unemployment and poverty in the region. On July 25, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Department of Public Safety presented the third in a series of institutes that examined the intersection of race and police work. These institutes are part of an ongoing effort to build awareness of racial bias in everyday encounters.

In summary, CRSP has had another successful year. We encourage you to visit our Web site and attend our events whenever possible. Again, we truly appreciate your ongoing support.