Solutions for the Crisis of Hope, Crime, & Economic Citizenship.
Category: In the News
Articles about Race and Opportunity Lab written by others and posted in other websites. Also Race and Opportunity Lab in the News.
Regional Steering Committee Named To Enhance Efforts For Black Boys, Young Men In St. Louis.
Brown School Center for Social Development on our Regional Steering Committee initiative – read here.
Dr. Sean Joe on New Horizons, The Mind & Body Connection with Dr. Keisha Ross
Dr. Joe appeared on the Intentional Talk Radio Network podcast to discuss his research on suicidal behavior in Black people with Dr. Keisha Ross. Listen to the episode here.
Analyzing mass incarceration: Dr. Sean Joe’s editorial was published in a special issue of Science.
With almost 2 million people in confinement, the United States locks up more people per capita than any other nation. Understanding the reasons and then forging a path to reduce mass incarceration in America will require better research and analyses of the government policies and spending that sustain the US carceral system. Read the editorial […]
Dr. Sean Joe, Dr. Sonyia Richardson featured on Science Friday
The article titled “Pandemic Unveils Growing Suicide Crisis For Communities Of Color” quoted Dr. Sean Joe and Researcher Resiliency Training Fellow Dr. Sonyia Richardson. “COVID created more transparency regarding what we already knew was happening,” said Sonyia Richardson, a licensed clinical social worker who focuses on serving people of color and an assistant professor at the […]
Who is safe in St. Louis? Examining Why Black Male Personal Safety is Critical for A Better STL
If you weren’t able to attend our town hall earlier this year it is now on Youtube! View here to understand the current state of Black male personal safety in St. Louis and its impacts on the region, demonstrated through presentations from topic experts. This collaborative effort between HomeGrown StL, the Clark-Fox Policy Institute, and […]
Dr. Joe Quoted in New York Magazine
Dr. Joe was recently mentioned in the article “Deaths of Despair Have Surged Among People of Color: New data shows another disaster unfolding alongside the pandemic. ” for his research on suicidology among Black people in the United States. Below are some excerpts from the article. “Recent studies examining statewide data have found similar patterns, […]
Congratulations to the 2021 RRT Fellows!!!
Watch this Community Conversation Around Public Safety and Black Men
A conversation on public safety led by African American men for African American men.
Race and Opportunity Lab Director Quoted in New York Times Article
Dr. Joe was recently mentioned in the article “Will the Pandemic Result in More Suicides? ” for his research on suicide among Black people in the United States. Below are some excerpts from the article. “As Sean Joe, who is the director of the Race and Opportunity Lab at Washington University in St. Louis and who […]
CBA 101
Please take the time to watch this video with Robert Motley explaining the importance of a CBA. Robert Motley, MSW is the lab Manager at our Race and Opportunity Lab and is currently working on his dissertation focusing on the effect of racism based policing on Black emerging adults 18 to 29 years of age. […]
Congratulations to Dr. Sean Joe, MSW,PhD!
Dr. Joe recently joined the advisory board of Washington University’s PEP, Prison Education Project, and the board of directors of the Independence Center. Learn more about these organizations at the links below. Independence Center PEP
Pandemic, racism compound worries about Black suicide rate
CHICAGO (AP) — Jasmin Pierre was 18 when she tried to end her life, overdosing on whatever pills she could find. Diagnosed with depression and anxiety, she survived two more attempts at suicide, which felt like the only way to stop her pain. Years of therapy brought progress, but the 31-year-old Black woman’s journey is […]
Nooses, hangings and cross burnings: Imagery of America’s dark racial history sparks fear nationwide
PALMDALE, Calif. — Some of the ugliest, most resonant symbols of the nation’s history of racial violence have returned after more than half a century to galvanize national demonstrations in recent weeks driven by the Black Lives Matter movement. On both coasts, black men have been found hanging from tree branches, suspected suicides that have […]
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Vibrant Emotional Health’s Black Racism and Mental Health Webinar
On Thursday, June 18, 2020, our very own Principal Investigator, Dr. Sean Joe, and Lab Manager, Robert Motley, Jr., spoke at a panel discussion on the examination of racism, violence, and mental health hosted by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Vibrant Emotional Health’s Black Racism and Mental Health webinar. Watch the National Suicide Prevention […]
WashU Expert: Explaining push to ‘defund police’
In the wake of national protests following the death of George Floyd, some activists are calling on cities to defund their police departments. But what does that mean exactly? Robert Motley, a PhD candidate in the Brown School and manager of the Race & Opportunity Lab at Washington University in St. Louis, explained it’s more of a […]
Study examines black male youth reactions to social media videos of community violence
New research from the Race and Opportunity Lab in the Brown School’s Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis sheds light on youths’ reactions to social media videos showing violence in their communities. Published in the journal Social Work Research, the study presents findings from a survey of black male youths incarcerated in the St. Louis […]
U.S. Needs a Behavioral Health ‘CARES’ Act Now — Here’s What It Must Include
The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has left millions struggling with grief in a new way. Specifically, the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has left many in America and across the globe without the opportunity to be present during the illness process, dying process, or the burial process of those dear […]
Sean Joe wants to change the lives of young black men in St. Louis
“The experience of young black males was represented by the experience of Michael Brown and others who have followed over the years,” says Joe, also associate dean for faculty and research at the Brown School. In the United States, for black males ages 18-29, homicide is a leading cause of death whether by the police […]
Suicide Attempts Rise Among Black Teens, But Researcher Says Data On Solutions Is Missing
Suicide attempts among black children and teenagers have increased by 73% since 1991, according to data published in the Journal of Pediatrics this month. “This group always reported much higher rates of suicide attempts than any other group except for Native American Alaskan Indians since 1991,” says Sean Joe, a professor of social work at […]
What’s Going On? Black Children Between the Ages of 5 and 11 Are Committing Suicide More Than Whites and Experts Don’t Know Why
Black children in America are having a hard time of it, as studies point to an increase in suicides. In a community where suicide is not viewed as a “Black thing,” and discussions about mental health are often viewed as taboo or not taken seriously, the statistics suggest that more must be done to stem […]
WashU: Focus on Suicide, Gun Violence
Suicide remains preventable, and prevention methods should go beyond behavioral means, according to expert recommendations from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. The recommendations came during a June 12 congressional briefing, “The Impact of Weapons and Violence on School and Surrounding Communities,” aimed at addressing current scientific data surrounding gun violence. “Gun […]
Commentary: Who gets to be Better Together?
Could you live on $30 per day? Could you take care of your family? For too long, black men of prime working ages have remained the St. Louisans least likely to benefit from the upward economic mobility that defines the American dream. As the St. Louis region considers the proposed Better Together merger of city […]
WashU Expert: We must address suicide in gun violence in America
In the United States, almost 50,000 people die every year from suicide. While participating in a June 13 briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., a Washington University in St. Louis expert testified that — amid the need nationally to stem violence in schools and elsewhere — suicide remains preventable. And prevention methods go beyond […]
Jaco Report: Racist Facebook posts by member of the police department.
Journalist Charles Jaco interviews Sen. Karla May, Atty. Rufus Tate, and Ph.D. candidate Robert Motley, MSW on racism and policing. Watch the full report here.
Doctoral candidate receives grants to study racism-based trauma
Robert Motley Jr., a doctoral candidate at the Brown School and manager of the Center for Social Development’s Race and Opportunity Lab, has received a two-year $60,936 grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and a $5,000 grant from the Fahs-Beck Fund for Research and Experimentation. Read more here.
Summit aims to better lives for 60,000 black males in St. Louis area
The HomeGrown STL Inaugural Summit, February 9 at the Brown School, drew about 120 people committed to improving the lives of black boys and young men in St. Louis City and County. “Equity and economics are different sides of the same coin,” said Joe Reagan, president and CEO of the St. Louis Regional Chamber, in […]
St. Louis must invest in young, black males to grow
While St. Louis was preoccupied with Better Together’s recently released proposal for merging St. Louis city and county governments, HomeGrown STL convened its annual summit on February 7 at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University, where it’s based. Its focus was succinctly stated in the title of the policy brief released and […]
My Brother’s Keeper Alliance brings HomeGrown STL into its fold
Inspired by HomeGrown STL’s “strong track record of working to improve life outcomes for boys and young men of color,” the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance has named HomeGrown STL a “Community to Watch.” Professor Sean Joe, director of HomeGrown STL, announced the designation last week at HomeGrown’s third annual regional summit, “Building Capacity for […]
National Initiative Sites Absorb Lessons on Implicit Bias
“In the weeks before the 2018-19 school year dawned, police officers, procedural justice trainers, and School Resource Officers (SROs) from numerous National Initiative for Building Community Trust & Justice (NI) sites absorbed their own formative classroom lessons—on implicit bias and reconciliation. In Texas, this meant a two-day peer exchange in August dedicated to improving SRO interactions with […]
Forward Promise Appoints Prestigious National Advisory Committee
Forward Promise, a national grant-making program that supports the health of boys and young men of color, today announced the members of its National Advisory Committee (NAC). A diverse group of national leaders in the fields of health, education, youth advocacy, technology, psychology, business and philanthropy will guide Forward Promise in its efforts to help […]
The Black Boys & Men: Changing the Narrative
The Black Boys & Men: Changing the Narrative podcast series brings together thought leaders from the public and private sectors to analyze stereotypes and dispel myths concerning Black boys and men, while providing facts and best practices for those working with these often marginalized populations. The series calls into question issues of systemic racism and oppression and […]
From Policing to Policy
In 2014, Luther Tyus was finishing his sixth year as an officer with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. He had become well known within the department, winning accolades like the Meritorious Service Citation and Citizen’s Service Award for his work to build trust between officers and local communities. He had organized a series of police-run events, such […]
Why Didn’t I Kill Him?
Editor’s Note: Luther O. Tyus is a graduate research assistant in the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, as well as an eight-year veteran of the St. Louis Police Department and a certified Peace Officer Standards and Training police instructor. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. The first time I almost killed a […]
‘Build the village that raises the child’
HomeGrown STL rallying cry: ‘Build the village that raises the child’ By Jill Young Miller More than 120 people working to improve the lives of black boys and young men in St. Louis participated in the second annual HomeGrown STL Summit on February 8 at the Brown School of Social Work. “Build the village that […]
HomeGrown STL featured in the St. Louis American
Sean Joe developed Home Grown STL as a response to moving to St. Louis to take a faculty position at Washington University in August 2014 – the same month of the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown Jr. Home Grown STL is a research project that consists of networking events with local professionals to seek […]
Regional Summit featured in Center for Social Development News
The HomeGrown STL Inaugural Summit, February 9 at the Brown School, drew about 120 people committed to improving the lives of black boys and young men in St. Louis City and County. “Equity and economics are different sides of the same coin,” said Joe Reagan, president and CEO of the St. Louis Regional Chamber, in […]
HomeGrown STL nearing action ‘on the ground’
HomeGrown STL is close to putting its strategy for collective impact to work in St. Louis. The project, part of the Center for Social Development’s Race and Opportunity Lab, aims to support the social mobility of black boys and men between the ages of 12 and 29 in St. Louis City and County. “We want […]
Policing and Social Trust
Humans are a social species. The need for trust is rooted in our DNA. In times of peril and uncertainty, trusting relationships provide a sense of security. Trust helps us to survive. In 2014, during the Ferguson unrest, I was a police officer in St. Louis, assigned to a special unit focusing on low-income housing […]
Police More Likely to Use Force Against Higher Income Black Women
A new study by Robert Motley Jr. a doctoral student and Sean Joe, the Benjamin E. Youngdahl Professor of Social Development at the Brown School of Washington University in St. Louis, examines the use of force by police officers when factors such as race, gender and income are taken into account. The researchers examined 2011 data […]
HomeGrown STL rallying cry: ‘Build the village that raises the child’
More than 120 people working to improve the lives of black boys and young men in St. Louis participated in the second annual HomeGrown STL Summit on February 8 at the Brown School of Social Work. “Build the village that raises the child,” said Sean Joe, the Benjamin E. Youngdahl Professor of Social Development, who […]
Study Finds That Police Are More Likely to Use Force Against Higher Income Black Women
A new study by Robert Motley Jr. a doctoral student and Sean Joe, the Benjamin E. Youngdahl Professor of Social Development at the Brown School of Washington University in St. Louis, examines the use of force by police officers when factors such as race, gender and income are taken into account. The researchers examined 2011 data […]
HomeGrown STL nearing action ‘on the ground’ for black males
HomeGrown STL is close to putting its strategy for collective impact to work in St. Louis. The project, part of the Center for Social Development’s Race and Opportunity Lab, aims to support the social mobility of black boys and men between the ages of 12 and 29 in St. Louis City and County. “We want […]