Working Towards Economic and Racial Justice: A Conversation with Darrick Hamilton

The outpouring of national grief, anger and resolve for change in the wake of the death of George Floyd comes as communities of color grapple with the multiple pandemics of the coronavirus, police violence and economic devastation. Spotlight spoke with Darrick Hamilton, executive director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State University, about the intersection of these crises and what it would take to create lasting change. Hamilton describes the need to change the public narrative around race and poverty. He stresses the importance of reform at the federal government level to redistribute resources and restructure organizations that are inherently detrimental to communities of color.