Challenges in Achieving Diversity in the Economics Profession

A Nice Reminder For Our Black History Century…I mean…Month!

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Read to the end to see who these ten fabulous people are. The middle-top one is an easy clue.

Those of you who follow me know that I usually explain things through an economic prism because those are the tools I acquired in school. In economics, a field pivotal in shaping the policies that govern our daily lives and the future of our societies, there exists a glaring and persistent gap: the need for more diversity.

I am typically the only brown guy in the room at economics-related professional conferences of hundreds of people, or sometimes one of few, something white people have come to accept as ordinary and non-white people see as a malady. Data from the American Economic Association (AEA) reveals that minority economists are significantly underrepresented at major economics conferences. Black economists account for a mere fraction of attendees and speakers (Source: AEA, “Diversity in the Economics Profession: A New Attack on an Old Problem,” 2019).

This deficit is not just a numerical discrepancy but a profound issue that influences economic policy and research, affecting global outcomes and opportunities. It’s why I advocate for more qualified (I emphasize “qualified” to preempt the trolls — but I know it won’t deter…