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Press Release: Scholars at the American Enterprise Institute, Hoover Institution, and Manhattan Institute Host Conference on Racial Inequality

By Ian Rowe

January 20, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Washington, DC (January 20, 2022) — The American Enterprise Institute, Hoover Institution, and Manhattan Institute will co-host a conference on alternative approaches to addressing racial inequality. Despite decades of affirmative-action programs, wealth-redistribution schemes and other well-intentioned government efforts, racial gaps in educational achievement, employment, income, family formation, and crime persist. The Old Parkland Conference, to be held February 3-5, in Dallas, TX, will offer a rethinking of traditional social policy and explore different ways of addressing these challenges.

Led by organizers Glenn Loury, Ian Rowe, Jason Riley and Shelby Steele, the conference will include panel discussions on economic mobility, schooling, law enforcement, culture, and faith, among other topics. It will also feature a keynote address by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

“We believe that it’s time to re-examine what’s been tried, because I don’t think anyone’s happy with these results,” said Mr. Riley, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. “We spend a lot of time talking about the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow, but that history doesn’t cut it as a blanket explanation for today’s disparities. Black people somehow were able to advance and narrow these gaps when there was a lot more racial animosity directed at them than what we have today. The question is why that progress has slowed or stalled and what can be done about it.”

You can see a complete list of panelists, speakers, and topics here.
We plan to release footage of the programming and key takeaways after the conference concludes. If you are interested in receiving these materials, please contact [email protected]

For press inquiries, please contact:

JAMES DESIO, Media Relations Associate

[email protected] | 202.821.8658

AEI’s 24/7 Media Services Contact

[email protected] | 202.862.5216

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