Spring Forum on Economic Justice
The Boston Debate League’s Race, Equity, and Policy (REP) Series aims to facilitate and amplify critical discourse across the City of Boston by exploring how policy intersects with race and equity as it relates to issues impacting our communities. This year’s REP Series Spring Forum will create an opportunity for healthy debate around a topic that is relevant and timely in our community, and one that Boston Debate League debaters explored over the last year: economic justice. As noted in a 2015 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the median net worth of white families in Boston is $247,500, while the median net worth of Black families is just $8. The COVID-19 pandemic has widened that racial wealth gap even further. Through this conversation, a multi-generational learning community of students, educators, leaders, experts, and change makers will investigate this pressing issue from multiple perspectives, surface implications for the broader community, and explore solutions.
This conversation will be moderated by Diti Kohli, Boston Globe reporter and producer of the Bozton GenZ video series. Panelists will include Dr. Thomas Shapiro, Research Professor at The Heller School for Social Policy at Brandeis University; Angela Brown, Chief of Economic Development at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council; and Gabriel Ponce Lemus, high school senior and Boston Debate League debater.
Join panelists at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute as they share their deep expertise, experiences, and perspectives on the topic of economic justice by responding to the Forum prompt: Which policy change would make the biggest difference to promote wealth equity in Boston?
Learn more about the panelists and register to attend below.
Diti Kohli
Diti covers all things business at the Boston Globe. Her coverage dips into everything from the economy and housing to retail and labor. In the past, her stories have stretched into the city’s affordability crisis, Section 8, higher education unions, student loan forgiveness, and more.Dr. Thomas Shapiro
Dr. Shapiro is Research Professor at The Heller School for Social Policy at Brandeis University. Professor Shapiro’s primary interest is in racial inequality and public policy. He is a leader in the wealth and race field with a particular focus on closing the racial wealth gapAngela Brown
Angela is the Chief of Economic Development at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. She works to build public-private and nonprofit sector partnerships on issues including economic development and mobility, and racial and social equity.
Gabriel Ponce Lemus
Gabriel, a high school senior with three years of experience as a debater, found his passion in policy debate and a love for argumentation and critical thinking. This year, he researched, wrote and debated his own policy debate case on the topic of wealth inequality.Sponsored by