In case you missed it…
Sixty-two years ago, 250,000 people convened in Washington, DC to demand “meaningful and dignified jobs at decent wages” for all workers. The March on Washington was not merely a moral appeal to the nation, but also an economic one. Today, that dream of full employment remains unfulfilled.
The Center on Economic and Policy Resarch (CEPR) webinar “Is Black Full Employment Possible Without Affirmative Action and DEI?“ explored how to achieve the economic justice goals of the March on Washington. Expert researchers and advocates discussed current challenges to Black employment, declining union density, policy solutions for good jobs and living wages, and pathways to economic opportunity. This conversation is more urgent than ever as Black employment conditions worsen nationwide.
Moderator
- Charles Bell, National Jobs for All Network
Panelists
- Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, President, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
- Algernon Austin, Director for Race and Economic Justice, CEPR
- Hayley Brown, Research Associate, CEPR
- Chandra Childers, Senior Policy and Economic Analyst, Economic Analysis and Research Network
Also from CEPR: Mostly Economics Podcast #18: Beyond “I Have A Dream”: The Forgotten Economic Demands of 1963
Dean Baker speaks with historian Dr. William P. Jones about his book “The March on Washington: Jobs, Freedom, and the Forgotten History of the Civil Rights Movement.” They explore how the famous march began as a protest for jobs and economic justice, the crucial role of labor unions in organizing the event, and why the economic demands—including full employment and a living minimum wage—have been largely erased from popular memory. The conversation also examines how these economic justice goals remain unfulfilled today, from the decline of union power to recent spikes in Black unemployment.
See also: Martin Luther King’s Call for Subsidized Jobs: The Black Jobs Deficit, 2024