How can the 21st century American economy and social fabric be more inclusive and provide opportunities for all Americans to enjoy economic prosperity? This is the guiding question of the Race, Prosperity, and Inclusion Initiative at Brookings.
Given the enormous human costs and economic growth consequences of anemic economic mobility and social isolation for these millions of Americans, the primary goal of the initiative is to advance the equity and economic prospects of poor and low-income Americans and of communities of color.
Drawing on scholarship across Brookings’s Economic Studies, Governance Studies, and Metropolitan Policy programs—and in collaboration with national and local policymakers, community leaders, and the Americans who experience poverty, racism, and the absence of economic opportunities first-hand—the initiative will expand supportive social networks between communities and identify innovative solutions for creating a more inclusive America.
In its initial phase, the Race, Prosperity, and Inclusion Initiative will anchor its strategy on two broad themes:
- Improving the economic mobility prospects for young men of color, and;
- Bringing marginalized poor and low-income communities back into the economic mainstream.