Thread by @drlisadcook

I am a macroeconomist who uses lynching in economic analysis & was a student of George Akerlof, Barry Eichengreen, David Romer & Paul Romer.

When I taught at Harvard, I taught 2 fundamental equations for economic analysis:

Y = C + I + G + (X-M) (1) and

Y = F(K, L, A) (2). 1/N

I use “human capital” to explain models that got macro to the endogenous-growth equation, Eq. (2). I also teach how slaveowners & Confederates tried to extract "disembodied human capital" from enslaved persons by giving them the right to patent prior to emancipation. 2/N

As @trevondlogan knows, I spent 10 years trying to get my paper on lynching & economic activity published in econ journals (thx JEG!). Spent most time educating referees/fellow economists on US history. Main, persistent questions/comments:

1) What is a former slave? 3/N

2) Why would anyone care about a lynching victim or a riot in another state?
3) Change “extralegal” & “extrajudicial” killings to “lynchings.” They’re not the same.

I was shocked, saddened & demoralized by the ignorance and lack of empathy of the referees. 4/N

I was also amazed at how wedded economists are to the meanings of words, even if not traditionally found in economics. Within and outside of our discipline, there is nuance in the meaning of terms, and we should acknowledge this. 5/N

George Akerlof, Ken Arrow, @SandyDarity, Barry Eichengreen, and Milton Friedman were the earliest readers of this paper & encouraged the paper & type of analysis – within the framework of macroeconomic analysis & innovation. The referees’ questions were not theirs. 6/N

I gave the lynchings and economic activity paper @HCEO @UChicago with @sndurlauf last year. Seminar attendees, many of whom are jr economists & scholars, expressed disbelief at the referees’ questions. The referees’ questions were also not theirs. 7/N

The first referee reports were from AER. One of these referees suggested that I write a book, b/c there was so much new information (to economists) in the paper. This was a wise person. With all the material I created for referee reports, I may have to write this book now! 8/N

By the way, a lot of undergraduate & grad students dropped my class when I showed up teaching and doing neoclassical economic analysis. We had to agree to disagree about this. I like this framework, think it's powerful, and made a choice to become an economist on this basis. 9/N

So what to do in the economics profession?

The #AEA Climate report was a good start, and every economist should read and learn from it: aeaweb.org/resources/memb…. However, it had no recommendations. 10/N

As an individual (don’t speak for the AEA) and a person who was beaten up while desegregating schools in GA and is a battle-tested optimist, I think there are at least 7 courses of action. 11/N

1) Stop actively and passively denying that racism exists in economic analysis and in the economics profession. It does, and its consequences are apparent, including in the #AEA Climate study. 12/N

2) Be more open to different approaches, people & lived experiences in the econ profession. Don’t just talk on #EconTwitter, but walk the walk in your departments & other places of work. Cite, consult, coauthor w/, mentor, advise & in general, show up for Black ppl in econ. 7/N

3) Stop saying that economics is colorblind, and that economists don’t see color. Yes, we are social scientists, but we are all human. And we all see color. This is often an excuse to avoid and shut down discussions of race. 14/N

3a) Stop perpetuating the myth that Black econs are overpaid, etc. Such myths have been debunked by many data sources, and they perpetuate unnecessary resentment and suspicion. 15/N

3b) And stop asking folks from marginalized groups to do all the work related to DEI in economics. They are tired! Many allies on #EconTwitter are excellent, committed, thoughtful, and omnipresent allies and sponsors on and off Twitter (thanks to all of you!). 16/N

4) Call out and report racism, racist analysis, and racists in the economics profession. Bystander training is not just for sexual harassment, misconduct, and assault. It’s also for racial harassment, misconduct, and assault. 17/N

4a) To report racial misconduct, harassment, and assault:
here's the AEA Code of Conduct and AEA Policy on Harassment and Discrimination: aeaweb.org/about-aea/code… & aeaweb.org/about-aea/aea-…. @LetoCoppley is the Ombudsperson: aeaweb.org/about-aea/aea-…. 18/N

5) Be prepared for influential & well-known economists to be reported for racial harassment, misconduct, and assault. Don’t make excuses for them. Allow them to be held accountable. Be prepared to act on retaliation after reporting and when perpetrators are held accountable. 19/N

6) We must continue work on the pipeline, eg @AEASPmsu, @AEAMP1, & @SadieCollective. Yet, this isn't sufficient. Economists have to be proactive in dismantling the racism that disallows or limits robust participation at every level & in every sector of the econ profession. 20/N

7) Stop dismissing & punching down on economists from marginalized groups, not just on #EconTwitter. I know of several economists (and you do, too) with PhDs from elite institutions who are bullies who are currently in & moving into positions of decision-making power. 21/N

7a) These people should be reported & held accountable b4 they're allowed 2 move on 2 other universities, positions, workplaces, etc., where they can inflict more harm. Black people, especially Black women, are rarely in a position to push back on this unacceptable behavior. 22/N

7b) Search committees and employers need to ask about complaints and investigations related to racial harassment and misconduct, just like they should when it comes to sexual harassment and misconduct. 23/N

Finally, this is personal. My @AEASPmsu colleagues & I have looked & are looking in the faces of many future economists who are Black, and we have the highest expectations & hopes for them, no soft bigotry of low expectations. 24/N

We have lots of partners & are very grateful. But our students see what's (not) happening in economics, economic policy & economic policy-making. We need change now & need every economist in this fight. As a close family friend used to say, "Silence is complicity." #WeCanDoBetter

Here's the paper:
Journal of Economic Growth -- link.springer.com/article/10.100…
Ungated -- lisadcook.net/wp-content/upl….

8) There's more on what any person can do to address racism & sexism & to increase participation in economics at the AEA web site on best practices: aeaweb.org/resources/best…. Thx to Amanda Bayer (@Div_E_Q) for a terrific workshop for @AEASPmsu faculty & grad students on this. 26/N