Voices in Equity

Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University

Voices in Equity is the official podcast of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University. The Cook Center is named after Samuel DuBois Cook, the first tenured Black professor at Duke University who exemplified the pursuit of social justice and equality. With research focuses including social mobility, education, health, wealth, and policy, the Cook Center aims to develop a deep understanding of the causes and consequences of inequality, and develop remedies for these disparities and their adverse effects.

  1. 01/18/2023

    Episode 10: Behind the Scenes at The Pandemic Divide Conference

    In October 2022, hundreds of attendees from throughout the country came together at the Washington Duke Inn to hear speakers from Duke University faculty and other scholars, practitioners, philanthropists, and journalists. The Pandemic Divide Conference included topics on the impact of COVID-19 on wealth, entrepreneurship, health, housing, employment and education, with an emphasis on determination of steps that could have been taken to mitigate the full impact of a pandemic and offer concrete public policy solutions that would allow the nation to effectively respond to future crises. We know we can’t prevent future pandemics, but we can certainly learn from what happened the past few years. Today we’re going to give you a taste of the conference, as our production team at Earfluence interviewed several of the attendees, asking them why they attended the conference, what impact the pandemic has had on them, their work, and their communities, and what “aha” moments they had. Voices in Equity is the official podcast of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University. The Cook Center is named after Samuel DuBois Cook, the first tenured Black professor at Duke University who exemplified the pursuit of social justice and equality. With research focuses including social mobility, education, health, wealth, and policy, the Cook Center aims to develop a deep understanding of the causes and consequences of inequality, and develop remedies for these disparities and their adverse effects. The aim of this podcast is to expand upon the work of the Cook Center through continuing crucial conversations that further our research and programming. On our first podcast series, we’re focusing on The Pandemic Divide: How COVID Increased Inequality in America. It’s a collaborative book from faculty - many here at Duke - who are committed to shining a light on inequities and truly making a difference. Voices in Equity is hosted by Maddie Braksick and is produced by Earfluence. We invite you to check out the new Cook Center website at socialequity.duke.edu to learn more about the Cook center’s research, programming, multimedia, and educational activities.

    45 min
  2. 12/21/2022

    Episode 9: Casteism in India vs Racism in the US: a Comparative Approach

    Episode Summary: Continuing conversations in his own research and events such as Annihilation of Caste, Dr. William “Sandy” Darity hosts three guests to compare and contrast Casteism in India, and Racism in the United States.  Dr. Nico Slate, head of the History Department at the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, joined by his PhD student Arko Dasgupta and Dr. Amit Thorat of Jawaharlal Nehru University explore the experiences of disadvantaged groups of people in catastrophes throughout history. It is noted that typically, those who have been disadvantaged historically (such as Black Americans in the United States and Dalits and Tribals in India) have fared worse than others. The importance of coming together and forming coalitions is discussed in order to fight against the oppression and exclusion that leads to immense inequality in the world. In the conversation, the speakers discuss the similarities and differences between casteism and racism. The commentators discuss the relationship between caste and race, and whether or not Wilkerson’s thesis  about the superiority of caste as a concept for understanding intergroup disparities is accurate. They note that both systems are based on beliefs about specific groups of people, and that both systems have resulted in discrimination and violence against those groups. However, they also note that there are some key differences between the two systems. The conversation touches on the difficulties of marrying across castes, the concept of “purity”, as well as prominent figures in the U.S. civil rights movement and those whom who in protest of the caste system in India.  For more information on relevant terms and figures mentioned in this episode, we encourage you to visit the reference links below. Topics/Resources Discussed in this Episode: The caste system in India Dalits (Untouchables) and tribals Mahatma Gandhi, fasting and communal roles Mahatma Gandhi and DalitsBhimrao Rami (B.R.) Ambedkar BR Ambedkar’s letter to W.E.B. Du BoisDr. Martin Luter King Jr. visits India Caste by Isabel Wilkerson Wilkerson’s commentary on America’s ‘caste’ system Episode transcript: Full episode transcript can be found hereVoices in Equity is the official podcast of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University. The Cook Center is named after Samuel DuBois Cook, the first tenured Black professor at Duke University who exemplified the pursuit of social justice and equality. With research focuses including social mobility, education, health, wealth, and policy, the Cook Center aims to develop a deep understanding of the causes and consequences of inequality, and develop remedies for these disparities and their adverse effects. The aim of this podcast is to expand upon the work of the Cook Center through continuing crucial conversations that further our research and programming. On our first podcast series, we’re focusing on The Pandemic Divide: How COVID Increased Inequality in America. It’s a collaborative book from faculty - many here at Duke - who are committed to shining a light on inequities and truly making a difference. Voices in Equity is hosted by Maddie Braksick and is produced by Earfluence. We invite you to check out the new Cook Center website at socialequity.duke.edu to learn more about the Cook center’s research, programming, multimedia, and educational activities.

    54 min
  3. 12/14/2022

    Episode 8: Black Women and da 'Rona

    On today’s episode, we’re talking about another book that sheds light on that inequality in America. Together, Julia Jordan-Zachary and Shamara Alhassan edited Black Women and da ‘Rona, a collection of stories from many collaborators, rooted in the ways Black women understand their lives, healing, mothering, and advocacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today's episode is hosted by Keisha Bentley-Edwards, who guested on episode 3, and who wrote the forward for the book.   Voices in Equity is the official podcast of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University. The Cook Center is named after Samuel DuBois Cook, the first tenured Black professor at Duke University who exemplified the pursuit of social justice and equality. With research focuses including social mobility, education, health, wealth, and policy, the Cook Center aims to develop a deep understanding of the causes and consequences of inequality, and develop remedies for these disparities and their adverse effects. The aim of this podcast is to expand upon the work of the Cook Center through continuing crucial conversations that further our research and programming. On our first podcast series, we’re focusing on The Pandemic Divide: How COVID Increased Inequality in America. It’s a collaborative book from faculty - many here at Duke - who are committed to shining a light on inequities and truly making a difference. Voices in Equity is hosted by Maddie Braksick and is produced by Earfluence. We invite you to check out the new Cook Center website at socialequity.duke.edu to learn more about the Cook center’s research, programming, multimedia, and educational activities.

    46 min
  4. 12/07/2022

    Episode 7: The Rebirth of K-12 Public Education: Postpandemic Opportunities (Part 2)

    Today we’re talking about chapter 11 of The Pandemic Divide, The Rebirth of K-12 Public Education: Postpandemic Opportunities, written by Kristen Stephens, Kisha Daniels, and Erica Phillips. We have all of the authors of this chapter on this episode, and we’re also joined by Sashir Moore Sloan, Social Studies teacher at Durham Public Schools. When Kisha, Erica, and Kristen wrote this chapter back in 2020, there was no vaccine, and the “two-week pause” in March had turned into “when will this end?”.  But it turns out, the time away from the classroom created an opportunity unlike any other time in history - and teachers made the most of it. Last week on part 1, we discussed: The scariness around the uncertainty of 2020Transitioning to online learningTeachers adapting to the inequities among studentsThe parents' perspectiveSocial and emotional learning in seclusionStudent mental healthToday, we go over: Access to wifi and the digital divideThe achievement gap and learning loss from the pandemicThe extended "summer slide"Getting students excited about learning againAbout the Authors: Kristen Stephens is an Associate Professor of the Practice in the Program in Education at Duke UniversityKisha Daniels is an Assistant Professor of the Practice of Education at Duke UniversityErica Phillips is the Educational Equity and Policy Specialist at the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity. Voices in Equity is the official podcast of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University. The Cook Center is named after Samuel DuBois Cook, the first tenured Black professor at Duke University who exemplified the pursuit of social justice and equality. With research focuses including social mobility, education, health, wealth, and policy, the Cook Center aims to develop a deep understanding of the causes and consequences of inequality, and develop remedies for these disparities and their adverse effects. The aim of this podcast is to expand upon the work of the Cook Center through continuing crucial conversations that further our research and programming. On our first podcast series, we’re focusing on The Pandemic Divide: How COVID Increased Inequality in America. It’s a collaborative book from faculty - many here at Duke - who are committed to shining a light on inequities and truly making a difference. Voices in Equity is hosted by Madeleine Braksick and is produced by Earfluence. We invite you to check out the new Cook Center website at socialequity.duke.edu to learn more about the Cook center’s research, programming, multimedia, and educational activities.

    46 min
  5. 11/30/2022

    Episode 6: The Rebirth of K-12 Public Education: Postpandemic Opportunities (Part 1)

    Today we’re talking about chapter 11 of The Pandemic Divide, The Rebirth of K-12 Public Education: Postpandemic Opportunities, written by Kristen Stephens, Kisha Daniels, and Erica Phillips. We have all of the authors of this chapter on this episode, and we’re also joined by Sashir Moore Sloan, Social Studies teacher at Durham Public Schools. When Kisha, Erica, and Kristen wrote this chapter back in 2020, there was no vaccine, and the “two-week pause” in March had turned into “when will this end?”.  But it turns out, the time away from the classroom created an opportunity unlike any other time in history - and teachers made the most of it. Topics on today's episode include: The scariness around the uncertainty of 2020Transitioning to online learningTeachers adapting to the inequities among studentsThe parents' perspectiveSocial and emotional learning in seclusionStudent mental healthAbout the Authors: Kristen Stephens is an Associate Professor of the Practice in the Program in Education at Duke UniversityKisha Daniels is an Assistant Professor of the Practice of Education at Duke UniversityErica Phillips is the Educational Equity and Policy Specialist at the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity. Voices in Equity is the official podcast of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University. The Cook Center is named after Samuel DuBois Cook, the first tenured Black professor at Duke University who exemplified the pursuit of social justice and equality. With research focuses including social mobility, education, health, wealth, and policy, the Cook Center aims to develop a deep understanding of the causes and consequences of inequality, and develop remedies for these disparities and their adverse effects. The aim of this podcast is to expand upon the work of the Cook Center through continuing crucial conversations that further our research and programming. On our first podcast series, we’re focusing on The Pandemic Divide: How COVID Increased Inequality in America. It’s a collaborative book from faculty - many here at Duke - who are committed to shining a light on inequities and truly making a difference. Voices in Equity is hosted by Madeleine Braksick and is produced by Earfluence. We invite you to check out the new Cook Center website at socialequity.duke.edu to learn more about the Cook center’s research, programming, multimedia, and educational activities.

    32 min

About

Voices in Equity is the official podcast of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University. The Cook Center is named after Samuel DuBois Cook, the first tenured Black professor at Duke University who exemplified the pursuit of social justice and equality. With research focuses including social mobility, education, health, wealth, and policy, the Cook Center aims to develop a deep understanding of the causes and consequences of inequality, and develop remedies for these disparities and their adverse effects.