Research and commentary

Race, Prosperity, and Inclusion Initiative

Research and commentary

The Race, Prosperity, and Inclusion Initiative (RPII) at Brookings aims to advance concrete policy solutions that combat systemic racism and build a more equitable society for all Americans, with a particular focus on poor, low-income and communities of color. The initiative encompasses scholarship from Brookings’s Economic Studies, Governance Studies, and Brookings Metro programs.

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Community conversation with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas.

Mental Health & Well-Being What does well-being mean for Black boys and men?

Keon L. Gilbert, Camille Busette

August 20, 2025

United States President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the East Room of the White House on January 29, 2025 in Washington, D.C. The Laken Riley Act is the first bill signed by President Trump in his new administration. It is named after a slain Georgia nursing student and would require the detention of unauthorized immigrants that have been accused of theft and violent crimes.

Immigrants & Immigration What do American immigrants think of the Trump administration’s policies?

Kwadwo Frimpong

August 15, 2025

handshake

Government Reform What does the erosion of trust in data mean for equity in policymaking?

Gabriel R. Sanchez, Keon L. Gilbert, Camille Busette

July 29, 2025

A family stand as law enforcement stand guard outside the Federal Building during a protest on Friday, June 13, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. A federal appeals court ruled on June 12 that the Trump administration can maintain control of the California National Guard, overturning a lower court ruling that U.S. President Donald Trump's deployment of troops to Los Angeles without Governor Gavin Newsom's consent as unlawful. Ringo Chiu/ZUMA Press Wire

Immigrants & Immigration The impact of deportation policy changes on Latino immigrant communities

Gabriel R. Sanchez, Edward D. Vargas, Daniel F. López-Cevallos, Carmen R. Valdez, Ana Luisa Oaxaca Carrasco

June 24, 2025

Race in Public Policy

market shopper

Children & Families The cost of being poor is rising. And it’s worse for poor families of color.

Jeffrey C. Fuhrer

July 29, 2024

Protest attendees call for investments in prevention instead of a new prison.

Crime, Justice & Safety Front-end criminal justice reforms are key to addressing systemic inequities

Howard Henderson, Mikayla Wallace

March 11, 2025

Police detain a protester at a rally to protest the death of Freddie Gray who died following an arrest in Baltimore, Maryland April 25, 2015. More than 1,000 demonstrators chanting "shut it down" marched through Baltimore on Saturday to protest the death of a black man who died after being taken into police custody.

Race in Public Policy How police violence reshapes community health and trust

Rashawn Ray, Keon L. Gilbert, Alyasah Ali Sewell, Jennifer D. Roberts

December 3, 2024

Social Equity & Inclusion

Emma Joy (R), 16, and her sister Quinn, 12, pack feminine products for delivery at their home in South Orange, New Jersey March 6, 2016. The South Orange, New Jersey, residents got the idea for their charity, Girls Helping Girls Period, when Emma learned that federal assistance programs for the indigent do not cover menstruation products, leaving many low-income and homeless women to cope with their cycles on their own.

Demographics & Population Period poverty and its reach across the US

Anne Sebert Kuhlmann, Ifeoma Obionu

November 27, 2024

Young African American farmer walking in stable with flock of sheep and carrying bucket full of water.

Race in Public Policy How Black farmers are sowing seeds of racial justice, liberty, and equity

Keon L. Gilbert

February 26, 2025

People cheer a speaker during a demonstration marking the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The event was hosted by National Action Network and the Drum Major Institute to both commemorate the 1963 march and call for continued work toward racial equality in the United States.

Demographics & Population Black women on the mic during the 1963 March on Washington

Keesha Middlemass

June 26, 2024

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