Joint Center Presents Federal Reserve Board Member Dr. Lisa DeNell Cook with Louis E. Martin Great American Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Oct. 19, 2023
Contact:
Chandra Hayslett, chandra@jointcenter.org

Joint Center Presents Federal Reserve Board Member Dr. Lisa DeNell Cook with Louis E. Martin Great American Award

WASHINGTON —  The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies honored Federal Reserve Board Member Dr. Lisa DeNell Cook with its highest honor — the 2023 Louis E. Martin Great American Award.

The Louis E. Martin Great American Award recognizes individuals who have made transformational contributions that furthered the promise of America as a land of hope and opportunity for all. The award, first given in 2003, is named in the memory of Louis E. Martin (1912-1997), a principal founder of the Joint Center and the first chair of its board. Dr. Cook received the award at last night’s 2023 Future of Black Communities Summit VIP Reception.

“Dr. Cook’s recent confirmation as a full term member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, her commitment to a better economy for all, and her previous tenure as a professor and economist, make her an ideal recipient for the Louis E. Martin Great American Award,” said Paul N.D. Thornell, chair of the Joint Center’s Board of Governors. “Dr. Cook brings experience and thoughtfulness to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors that ensures the concerns and interests of varying demographic groups, including those historically underrepresented in financial decision-making, are considered. It was an honor to present her with the award.”

Dr. Cook said “When I think about everything Louis Martin accomplished, including the creation of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, and I consider the distinguished men and women who have earned this award before me, I am humbled and very grateful to receive this great honor.”

Past recipients of the award include Secretary of State Colin Powell (posthumously), La June Montgomery Tabron, Cedric Richmond, Stacey Abrams, then-Senator Kamala Harris, Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, Senator Cory Booker, Ambassador Susan Rice, Congressmen John Lewis and James Clyburn, Dorothy Height, and Muhammad Ali. See the full list of recipients here.

Click here to read Dr. Cook’s full acceptance speech.

Martin was a 1934 graduate of the University of Michigan, a Chicago Defender journalist, the founding editor and publisher of the Michigan Chronicle, and a founder of the National Newspaper Publishers Association.  In serving as an advisor to three presidents, Martin was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the nomination of Thurgood Marshall to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967. Martin was one of the founders of the Joint Center in 1970, and served as its board chair from 1970-1979.  Among friends and colleagues, Martin was known for expressing his warmest respects with his favorite compliment: “You are a great American.”

About Dr. Lisa DeNell Cook
Dr. Lisa Cook is the first Black woman to become a member of the Federal Reserve Board. She is one of the country’s most esteemed macroeconomists as well as an international authority on banking systems, economic growth, innovation, markets, and global finance. Prior to her appointment to the Board, Dr. Cook was a tenured professor at Michigan State University. She served on the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis and the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. She has also been a supporter of the Joint Center’s work. Dr. Cook talked about economic policy at the Joint Center’s Future of Black Communities Leadership Summit in December 2020 and in conversation with Joint Center President Spencer Overton in February 2023.

About the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, America’s Black think tank, provides compelling and actionable policy solutions to eradicate persistent and evolving barriers to the full freedom of Black people in America. We are the trusted forum for leading experts and scholars to participate in major public policy debates and promote ideas that advance Black communities. We use evidence-based research, analysis, convenings, and strategic communications to support Black communities and a network of allies.