Black Papers

Presenting the most comprehensive Black policy agenda produced in a generation, offering concrete, actionable recommendations across every dimension of Black life in America, this book features contributions from over 100 leading scholars, policymakers, and community organizers to transform research into policy action.

Born from the State of the People movement, a national call to action rallying, restoring, and reimagining what's possible for Black communities, The Black Papers: A Policy Agenda for Black Liberation in the 21st Century stands in the lineage of the 1905 Niagara Movement, the 1972 Gary Political Convention, and decades of Black political organizing to address what previous efforts left incomplete: sustained infrastructure for collective liberation. Through 26 rigorously researched policy briefs, the volume covers economic justice, education reform, health equity, democratic governance, criminal justice transformation, environmental justice, reparations, and specialized policy domains. Each chapter provides specific federal, state, and local recommendations, translating complex policy analysis into accessible frameworks for action. The Black Papers deliver what policymakers, organizers, educators, and community members need most: evidence-based roadmaps for systemic change. Contributors include university professors and grassroots activists, former White House officials and community organizers, attorneys and artists—representing the breadth of Black genius and the depth of collective commitment to Black flourishing.

This volume will serve undergraduate and graduate courses in public policy, sociology, African American studies, urban planning, and education while remaining accessible to undergraduate students, advocacy professionals, and general readers. Developed alongside the State of the People Power Tour, which activated grassroots movements in thirteen cities nationwide, the project integrates scholarship with community organizing. Companion digital resources at stateoftheppl.com provide multimedia content, data visualizations, and advocacy tools that extend the book's impact beyond the page.

Dr. David J. Johns is an education policy expert and advocate for Black and LGBTQ+ youth. Former Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, he now leads the National Black Justice Collective a civil rights organization, advancing equity through research, advocacy, and intersectional leadership.