New Periodical Features Original Research and Analyses on African American Public Policy Issues

(Black PR Wire) WASHINGTON — The Center for Policy Analysis and Research (CPAR) at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF) today released the inaugural issue of a multidisciplinary journal focusing exclusively on public policy issues related to black politics in the United States. Entitled, Defining the Black Agenda in a Post-Obama Era, the first edition of the biennial publication focuses on research and reflections following the eight-year tenure of the first African American U.S. president.

Written by scholars and practitioners for a general, non-specialist audience, the Journal of the Center for Policy Analysis and Research follows the standard of a peer-reviewed, social science publication and serves as a conduit between research and policy. With just over 10 entries totaling more than 175 pages, the inaugural issue has a special focus on advancing the collective Black agenda and the significance of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).

“Driven by CBCF’s mission to inform policy and educate the public, the contents of this journal provide a historical perspective on several topics important to African Americans, highlights the progress achieved in our commu­nity, and sheds light on the collective work we must accomplish as a nation,” said Dr. Elsie L. Scott, interim president & CEO, CBCF; and founding director, Howard University’s Ronald W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center. “I applaud the authors and the editorial board for their leadership and countless hours of thorough research invested to create this timely and needed body of work.”

When published every two years, the Journal will feature in-depth and innovative approaches to help advance the study of black identities, ethnicities and diasporas, and, in turn, highlight how these perspectives inform representative governance and public policy. In addition, the periodical will explain and help readers better understand the factors, policies and socioeconomic conditions affecting African Americans and people of African descent in the United States and across the globe.

“The Journal of the Center for Policy Analysis and Research was conceived to establish a productive and intellectually stimulating space where substantive research on public policy and political processes could be produced, argued and publicly discussed by a broad range of contributors from an array of disciplines and sectors,” said Dr. Menna Demessie, vice president, Policy Analysis and Research, CBCF; and the Journal’s co-managing editor. “CPAR and the Journal’s editorial team collectively strive to provide readers with the data and information needed to help alleviate or remedy many of the systemic problems African Americans across the world face daily.”

Research featured in Defining the Black Agenda in a Post-Obama Era delves into a variety of important topics including black civic participation and studies on black boys and girls. Among the Journal entry titles are:

• “Is the Rise in Police Militarization a Response to Changing Demographics?” by Dr. Olugbenga Ajilore.
• “Expanding Early Childhood Resources to Address Racial Disparities in Education, Employment, and Incarceration” by Drs. Carlton D. Jenkins and Stephanie S. Burrage.
• “Reigniting the Civic Dimensions of Black Politics: The Imperative of Foregrounding ‘Systems’ When Challenging Systemic Oppression” by Dr. Tyson D. King-Meadows and Shakari Nichele Byerly.
• “Growing Our Own: Reflections on Developing a Pipeline for Male Educators of Color” by Drs. Shannon R. Waite, Marcelle Mentor, and Travis J. Bristol.
• “Zero-Tolerance School Discipline Policies and Black Girls: The (Un)Intended Consequences” by Dr. Terri N. Watson.

The publication opens with a foreword from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, chair, CBCF board of directors, and includes a special section devoted to the legacy of Dr. Ron Walters, a preeminent scholar of black political studies, noted civil rights activist, and one of the founding architects of the CBC. Members of the publication’s editorial board represent organizations and education institutions across the country spanning from the University of Southern California to Pennsylvania State University, and the National Black Justice Coalition and Washington, DC’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, among others.

For more information, visit the Journal of the Center for Policy Analysis and Research.

*Members of the media can request a full abstract and a copy of ‘Defining the Black Agenda in a Post-Obama Era’ atMedia@CBCFinc.org.

ABOUT CBCF
Established in 1976, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF) is a non-partisan, nonprofit, public policy, research and educational institute committed to advancing the global black community by developing leaders, informing policy and educating the public. For more information, visit cbcfinc.org.

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