Description:

"The Narrative of Racial Progress"

By Michael Kraus, professor of psychology and Morton O. Schapiro IPR Fellow

Abstract: In this talk, Kraus will provide a broad overview of his and his colleagues' research on the narrative of racial progress—the tendency for Americans to believe in the linear, automatic, and even natural march forward to racial equity and justice. The talk will begin with an overall orientation to his research approach to inequality. From there, he will describe the theoretical background of this narrative, highlighting the psychological and structural drivers of the tendency to overestimate racial equality and progress toward achieving it. Along the way, Kraus will summarize the state of the evidence in support of racial progress beliefs. Having provided this summary, he will conclude by discussing some of the researchers' emerging efforts to promote more realistic conceptions of racial inequality, and how narratives of racial progress act as barriers to the actual achievement of racial equity.

This event is part of the Fay Lomax Cook Winter 2025 Colloquium Series, where our researchers from around the University share their latest policy-relevant research.