Research & Data
Opportunities and Challenges of AI for Black Workers in the Rural South
The report, Opportunities and Challenges of AI for Black Workers in the Rural South, examines how artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and data center development are reshaping economic opportunities and challenges…
The 2026 Midterms and Why Representation is an Economic Issue
By Sydney Dowd, Student at University of California, Santa Barbara & Former Joint Center Intern Introduction As the 2026 midterm elections approach, questions about political representation are moving back to…
The Child Tax Credit, Black Families, and the Cost of Conditional Support
This brief, The Child Tax Credit, Black Families, and the Cost of the Conditional Support, examines how earnings requirements, adult-status restrictions, and caregiver eligibility rules limit access to the Child…
Forward Together: The Black Policy Playbook for an Equitable America – The 2026 Addendum
Forward Together: The Black Policy Playbook for an Equitable America was created in 2025 to provide evidence-based policy recommendations for advancing equity and opportunity for Black Americans. Developed by the Congressional…
The State of the Black Labor Market
The brief, The State of the Black Labor Market, analyzes U.S. labor market data for Black workers from January to August 2026. The first eight months of 2026 produced three…
The Tax Code and Black Wealth: How the Federal Tax Code Builds Wealth for Some and Strips It from Others
The Tax Code and Black Wealth is a policy brief series examining how the federal tax code builds wealth for some and strips it from others, organized into sub-series that…
Opening a Retirement Account Is Not Enough to Close the Black Retirement Divide
Racial economic inequality follows Black Americans across the life course. In 2022, 22 percent of Black children lived in poverty, compared with 10 percent of white children. Among adults ages…
How OBBBA is Changing Higher Ed Access for Black Students
In July 2025, Congressional Republicans passed, and President Donald Trump signed, a partisan budget reconciliation package that will reshape the American economy and further erode the social safety net. These…
Black Fatherhood and the Economics of Family Security
Father’s Day is a celebration of fathers, grandfathers, and father figures. It is also an opportunity to examine the economic conditions that shape Black fatherhood. Being present and involved is…
Motherhood, Work, and the Black Economy
For Mother’s Day, the Joint Center released a policy snapshot titled Motherhood, Work, and the Black Economy. Black mothers are central to the economic security of Black children and families.…