Economists & reading
Black Economists & Reading
A reading shelf for people building economic self-sufficiency in Black communities. Start with an economist, follow the link to their own words, and weigh the arguments yourself.
- This is a curated starter list, not an exhaustive one.
- Including a viewpoint is not an endorsement of it. The economists here disagree with each other.
- We link to official pages and publishers. We do not reproduce copyrighted works.
- External access (free, paywalled, library) can change without notice.
Showing 10 of 10 economists
Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander
In 1921, Alexander became the first Black American to earn a Ph.D. in economics. Also an attorney and civil rights advocate, she used economic analysis to examine employment, racial justice, and democracy.
Official profile (opens a Blackonomics summary first)Source: Yale University Press biography
Reading
- Publisher listing; purchase or library accessBook · 2021 collection
Democracy, Race, and Justice: The Speeches and Writings of Sadie T. M. Alexander (opens a Blackonomics summary first)
Sadie T. M. Alexander; edited and introduced by Nina Banks
A collected volume of Alexander's speeches and writings, with historical context from editor Nina Banks. The linked page describes the book; it is not the complete text.
Source: Yale University Press
Nina Banks
Banks studies the political economy of race and gender, including Black women's unpaid community work. Her scholarship also recovers and interprets Sadie Alexander's economic thought.
Official profile (opens a Blackonomics summary first)Source: Bucknell University
Reading
- Free abstract and full-text PDFJournal article · 2022
Sadie T. M. Alexander: Black Women and a "Taste of Freedom in the Economic World" (opens a Blackonomics summary first)
Nina Banks
Examines Alexander's analysis of Black women's employment, economic independence, and unequal treatment under labor protections.
Source: American Economic Association · Journal of Economic Perspectives
- Free online readingEssay · 2021
Sadie Alexander on Black Achievement (opens a Blackonomics summary first)
Nina Banks
Banks discusses Alexander's historical education and her challenge to racist accounts of Black achievement. This essay is by Banks, not Alexander.
Source: Yale University Press
Lisa D. Cook
Cook's research connects innovation, economic growth, and opportunity. Her work examines how racial violence and barriers to participation have affected Black inventors and the wider economy.
Official profile (opens a Blackonomics summary first)Source: Author's publications page
Reading
- Free author-version PDFResearch paper · PDF · 2014 journal publication
Violence and Economic Growth: Evidence from African American Patents, 1870–1940 (opens a Blackonomics summary first)
Lisa D. Cook
Research on racial violence and patenting by African American inventors. This is the openly available author version linked from Cook's publications page.
Source: Author's website · published in Journal of Economic Growth
- Free online readingPolicy essay · 2021
Addressing gender and racial disparities in the U.S. labor market to boost wages and power innovation (opens a Blackonomics summary first)
Lisa Cook
An accessible discussion of barriers to innovation and policies intended to expand participation, improve wages, and support growth.
Source: Washington Center for Equitable Growth
William A. Darity Jr.
Darity is a leading scholar of stratification economics, which studies persistent inequality between social groups. His writing examines the racial wealth gap and proposals for reparations.
Official profile (opens a Blackonomics summary first)Source: University of North Carolina Press
Reading
- Publisher listing; purchase or library accessBook · 2022 · second edition
From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century (opens a Blackonomics summary first)
William A. Darity Jr. and A. Kirsten Mullen
Darity and Mullen make a historical and economic case for reparations and set out a proposed program. The publisher page includes a description and preview link, not the full book.
Source: University of North Carolina Press
Darrick Hamilton
Hamilton studies racial and economic inequality and develops policy proposals addressing wealth and employment, including baby bonds and a federal job guarantee.
Official profile (opens a Blackonomics summary first)Source: The New School
Reading
- Free abstract; publisher full text may require accessJournal article · abstract · 2010
Can ‘Baby Bonds’ Eliminate the Racial Wealth Gap in Putative Post-Racial America? (opens a Blackonomics summary first)
Darrick Hamilton and William A. Darity Jr.
An early proposal for child development accounts intended to reduce wealth inequality. This university record provides the abstract and a link to the publisher.
Source: UNC Carolina Population Center · Review of Black Political Economy
Trevon D. Logan
Logan is an economic historian whose research examines race, political representation, segregation, and living standards, using historical evidence to study economic outcomes.
Official profile (opens a Blackonomics summary first)Source: National Bureau of Economic Research
Reading
- Free abstract; full-text access subject to NBER policyWorking paper · abstract · 2018 working paper
Do Black Politicians Matter? (opens a Blackonomics summary first)
Trevon D. Logan
Studies Black officeholders during Reconstruction and their effects on public finance and educational outcomes. This link is to the working-paper version, not a claim of peer review.
Source: National Bureau of Economic Research · Working Paper 24190
Julianne Malveaux
Malveaux is an economist, author, and commentator whose public writing covers economic opportunity, labor, women's rights, and public policy.
Official profile (opens a Blackonomics summary first)Source: Author's official biography
Reading
- Free online columnsColumn archive · Various dates
Columns by Julianne Malveaux (opens a Blackonomics summary first)
Julianne Malveaux
Browse commentary published on Malveaux's own website. These are opinion columns, not peer-reviewed research; titles and subjects change as the archive is updated.
Source: Author's official website
Thomas Sowell
Sowell writes about prices, incentives, markets, history, and social policy. His market-oriented analysis offers a distinct perspective for readers comparing approaches to economic opportunity.
Official profile (opens a Blackonomics summary first)Source: Hoover Institution
Reading
- Publisher listing; purchase or library accessBook · Multiple editions
Basic Economics (opens a Blackonomics summary first)
Thomas Sowell
A plain-language introduction to economic principles through prices, trade-offs, incentives, and policy examples. The linked publisher page is not the complete book.
Source: Basic Books · Hachette Book Group
Walter E. Williams
Williams was an economist known for his market-oriented writing on labor, discrimination, regulation, and individual liberty. His work provides another perspective on the sources of economic disadvantage.
Official profile (opens a Blackonomics summary first)Source: Hoover Institution
Reading
- Free online excerpt; not the full bookBook excerpt · 2011
Race and Economics (opens a Blackonomics summary first)
Walter E. Williams
A Hoover Digest excerpt from Race and Economics: How Much Can Be Blamed on Discrimination? Williams argues for market-based approaches to economic opportunity.
Source: Hoover Institution · Hoover Digest
W. Arthur Lewis
The Saint Lucian economist helped establish development economics and shared the 1979 economics Nobel prize. His work examines structural change, employment, trade, and growth in developing economies.
Official profile (opens a Blackonomics summary first)Source: NobelPrize.org
Reading
- Free full-text lecturePrize lecture · 1979
The Slowing Down of the Engine of Growth (opens a Blackonomics summary first)
W. Arthur Lewis
Lewis considers how trade connects growth in developed and developing economies. The official Nobel website provides the lecture text.
Source: NobelPrize.org
Educational reading only, not financial advice. Search and filters run in your browser and nothing is stored. See the disclaimer.