Evidence in Action Newsletter
In this episode of the Evidence in Action podcast, cohost Kimberlyn Leary and guest Michael McAfee, president and CEO of PolicyLink, discuss what it takes to fuel lasting social change in a multiracial democracy, and how a system built on what McAfee calls the “hierarchy of human value” plays out in society.
On the power of learning lessons early in your career
“I went from a star to an angry Black man because everything I was doing was perceived as aggression. I ultimately got fired. But I tell you that story because it was the best time of my life because it made me choose. Here I was, all I had to do with the foundation, as Baldwin would say, ‘The price of the ticket was just to be nice, just to be able to put a sentence together,’ and I wanted to do more. And I ultimately got back on my feet. But it was the best gift to get early, to say ‘Who do you serve? Who will you fight for? And who will you suffer loss for?’”
On the importance of advancing real solutions
“Our work is born out of the voice, wisdom, and experience of everyday people. Solutions that we offer up and try to advance in the world that they will really matter. They will fundamentally change someone’s life. There’s a place for boutique efforts, there’s a place for pilots, there’s a place for initiatives. But with that level of pain [from people experiencing poverty in the US] we’ve got to quickly get to solutions commensurate with the scale of the problem... these solutions that we are advancing [need to be] structural, that they are not simply temporary efforts to alleviate human suffering, but that they fundamentally transform the nature and logic of our economy and our democracy so that they’re enduring.”
NEW Episode—Listen to “Michael McAfee on Equity in a Multiracial Democracy”
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Episode 4: Luke Shaefer on the Legacy of Persistent Poverty in America
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8 个月He is right. We must be at those policy boards because policy determines how the game will be played . I was on the advisory board for the Federal Reserves Bank. I was recommended by President Clinton office. I was the only black person. By using the power of black dollars, I was able to influence policy to help black people and urban cities.