About Us

The mission of the Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race and Justice is to address the persistent inequities caused by racism and to propose policies and practices that can help to eliminate those inequities. The Center will host scholarly symposia, house research fellows, and foster outreach programs that are aimed at understanding the complex interplay between racial discrimination and differentiation and conceptions of justice. It will be a convener and facilitator of research-based conversations that help frame national discussions about how we can eliminate racial injustice and foster greater equality in our society.

The work of the Center is to engage in innovative research and implement programming that highlights ongoing challenges to racial equality, facilitates conversations that mitigate bias, and offers substantial policy recommendations to decision makers. We will engage in transformational and interdisciplinary public history projects that advance our understanding of how to achieve racial justice.

The Center also understands outreach is a key factor in our efforts to fashion a new racial future. Therefore, we will host public symposiums and targeted conferences as well as residency programs for social justice practitioners. Our working philosophy is to contribute to the training of engaged and empowered young professionals and to actively contribute in making the world they enter a more hospitable place.