Pioneering Duke economist William “Sandy” Darity, arguably the nation’s leading authority on reparations for Black American descendants of slavery, has been named a 2024 Distinguished Fellow by the American Economic Association (AEA), officials with the university’s Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity, announced this week.
Darity, the Cook Center’s founding director, is the Samuel DuBois Cook Professor of Public Policy, African and African American Studies, and Economics.
Darity is one of just four scholars to receive this honor this year. Fewer than 200 economists have been named an AEA Distinguished Fellow since the award began in 1965.
In the AEA announcement, officials described Darity as a “distinguished economist whose groundbreaking research has significantly advanced our understanding of racial inequality, labor economics, and wealth disparities.”
“Through his research, mentorship, and public advocacy, [he] continues to be a leading voice in the pursuit of economic justice and equality.”
“This is a special honor,” he said. “I have no idea who penned the lovely [AEA] citation, but I am especially grateful for the acknowledgement of my role in the development of stratification economics, the evolving national conversation on reparations for black American descendants of U.S. slavery, and mentoring forthcoming generations of social justice scholars.”
In their Tuesday release, Cook Center officials pointed to Darity’s research contributions to the field that spans many areas, “particularly in his analysis of the inequalities of race, class, and ethnicity.”
Darity is a founder of the field of stratification economics, “which argues that inequality arises from structural disparities in the distribution of resources and power, and that dominant groups act in ways that work to maintain their strong position relative to others,” according to the release.
Darity’s research has proven substantive in public policy, and his work in the field of social equity has been widely recognized and celebrated.
During the past decade, while working with Darrick Hamilton, “Darity outlined and proposed the idea of ‘baby bonds,’ a program that would provide universal wealth transfers via a progressive child development account and foster economic equity,” according to the Cook Center release. Last year, Connecticut became the first state to implement a baby bonds program.
The Duke economist is also among a cadre of scholars who have argued for a federal jobs guarantee as a means of reducing poverty.
