Andre Perry: Know Your Price: The Devaluation of Assets in Black Communities

2021 Clarence Stein Lecture

Bio:

Andre Perry is a Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, a scholar-in-residence at American University, and a columnist for the Hechinger Report. A nationally known and respected commentator on race, structural inequality, and education, Perry is a regular contributor to MSNBC and has been published by The New York Times, The Nation, Washington Post, The Root, and CNN. Perry has also made appearances on CNN, PBS, National Public Radio, NBC, and ABC. His research focuses on race and structural inequality, education, and economic inclusion. Perry's recent scholarship at the Brookings Institution has analyzed Black-majority cities and institutions in America, focusing on valuable assets worthy of increased investment. He is the author of the forthcoming book, Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America's Black Cities, which was released by the Brookings Institution Press in May 2020 and is currently available.

Perry's academic writings have concentrated on race, structural inequality, and urban schools. Perry co-authored the Brookings Institution report, Devaluation of Assets in Black Neighborhoods and has presented its findings across the country, including the U.S. House Financial Services Committee. As a follow-up, Perry co-authored Five-star reviews, one-star profits: The devaluation of businesses in Black communities, which examines the effects of racism on business owners' bottom lines. Perry's scholarship and writings on education reform have made him a go-to speaker on structural inequality around schools. For the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Perry co-authored School by School: The Transformation of New Orleans Public Education in "Resilience and Opportunity: Lessons from the U.S. Gulf Coast after Katrina and Rita" published by the Brookings Institution Press. Perry also coauthored "The Transformation of New Orleans Public Schools: Addressing System-Level Problems without a System," published by the Data Center of New Orleans. He also co-authored the chapter Between Public and Private: Politics, Governance, and the New Portfolio Models for Urban School Reform published on Harvard University Press.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania., Perry earned his Ph.D. in education policy and leadership from the University of Maryland College Park, Maryland.

Abstract:

Andre M. Perry, author of Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America's Black Cities, will give an overview of how the assets and strengths of the more than 1200 cities in which more than 50 percent of the population are systemically devalued, robbing residents of a chance to lift themselves up economic and social ladders. As we look for ways to address structural racism in community design, Perry will share why knowing and properly valuing the assets in Black communities is essential. Dr. Perry will provide a framework for doing just that.