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Person

Darrick Hamilton

Nationality:

American
Occupation(s):

Economics and Urban Studies Professor, The New School

Founding Director of The Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy

 

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Darrick Hamilton is the Henry Cohen professor of economics and urban policy at The New School and the founding director of the Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy. 1 Hamilton is an advocate for guaranteed federal or municipal jobs and government-financed and managed bonds given to children at birth that are payable upon adulthood. 2

Hamilton has stated that a $15 minimum wage is not sufficient and that people must insist on higher wages. 3 Calling cash payments to individuals during the pandemic successful, Hamilton and the Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy call for new automatic cash payments to people at any indication of an economic recession. 4 Hamilton has contributed to Democratic candidates and was as a surrogate for the presidential campaign of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). 5

Economic Positions

Darrick Hamilton is co-author of an article advocating that all Americans should be guaranteed a federal job to alleviate poverty. 6 Hamilton also stated that a child development account, or “Baby Bonds,” should be provided by the government based on the financial assets of the child’s parents. 7 Hamilton’s Baby Bonds proposal would have every child receiving a government-funded trust account at birth that is managed by federal, state, or local governments until adulthood. 8 Government-managed Baby Bonds are being championed by left-of-center groups such as Prosperity Now, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the Urban Institute. 9

Hamilton has called the fight for a $15 minimum wage insufficient and argues that there should be local municipal job guarantees that employ everyone to a livable wage plus benefit through the public sector. 10 Hamilton argues such municipal jobs can be funded through the government, cover any sector, ensure the rights to collective bargaining or affiliate with a public-sector union, and be used to fight global warming. 11

Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy

Darrick Hamilton founded the Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy in 2021 to advance economic inclusion, equity, and civic engagement. 12 The Institute works on identifying inequalities and pathways to promote equity. 13 In addition to the Institute advocating for government-funded “Baby Bonds,” the Institute called direct government cash payments to individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic successful. 14 The Institute advocates that government send cash payments to individuals automatically when economic indicators signal a recession and continue until the national unemployment rate begins to decrease. 15

The Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy is funded by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Brookings Institution, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Marguerite Casey Foundation, National Urban League, Omidyar Network, Open Society Network, PolicyLink, Polk Brothers Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, California Endowment, Chicago Community Trust, Kresge Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Wellspring Philanthropic Fund. 16

Political Activities

In 2020, Darrick Hamilton was a campaign surrogate for Bernie Sanders and later appointed a member of the economic committee of the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force. 17

In 2021, Hamilton was appointed to New York City’s Racial Justice Commission by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) to target and dismantle structural and institutional racism in New York City. 18 Proposed ballot initiative efforts supported by the commission included establishing a racial equity office, plan, and commission; adding a preamble to the city charter seeking a just and equitable city for all New Yorkers; and requiring the city government to report annually on the cost of living in the city without considering public, private, or informal assistance. 19

Hamilton donated $500 to Democrat Morgan Harper’s 2022 U.S. Senate campaign in Ohio and $250 to the U.S. House campaign of Democrat John Conyers III in Michigan. 20

Affiliations

Darrick Hamilton is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. 21 Hamilton is on the board of directors of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. 22 In June of 2022 and 2023, Hamilton was a resident of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center Network. 23 From 2007 through 2015, Hamilton was an affiliated scholar with the liberal think tank Center for American Progress. 24

Career

In 2020, Hamilton received a Marguerite Casey Foundation Freedom Scholar Award to support research of social justice leaders to “radically improve our democracy, economy, and society.” 25 The Freedom Scholar Award supports social movements by Black people, LGBT, migrants, poor people, and other people of color. 26 From 2019 through 2020, Hamilton was a professor at Ohio State University and executive director at Ohio State’s Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. 27 Hamilton has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and bachelor’s degree in economics from Oberlin College. 28

References

  1. “Darrick Hamilton.” The New School. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.newschool.edu/milano/faculty/darrick-hamilton/.
  2. Aja, Alan, Darrick Hamilton, William Darity Jr. “How Cities Can Do Better Than the Fight for $15.” Yes! Solutions Journal. October 6, 2017. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.yesmagazine.org/economy/2017/10/06/how-cities-and-towns-can-do-better-than-the-fight-for-15.
  3. Aja, Alan, Darrick Hamilton, William Darity Jr. “How Cities Can Do Better Than the Fight for $15.” Yes! Solutions Journal. October 6, 2017. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.yesmagazine.org/economy/2017/10/06/how-cities-and-towns-can-do-better-than-the-fight-for-15.
  4. “Direct Cash Payment.” Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://racepowerpolicy.org.
  5. “Darrick Hamilton.” Brookings Institution. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.brookings.edu/people/darrick-hamilton/; “Darrick Hamilton, PhD.” Marguerite Casey Foundation Freedom Scholars. 2020. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.caseygrants.org/2020-freedom-scholars/darrick-hamilton-phd.
  6. Paul, Mark, William Darity Jr., Darrick Hamilton, Khaing Zaw. “A Path to Ending Unemployment: A Federal Job Guarantee.” The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of Social Sciences. Vol. 4, No. 3. February 2018. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7758/rsf.2018.4.3.03?seq=1.
  7. Darity, William, and Darrick Hamilton. “Bold Policies for Economic Justice.” Review of Black Political Economy. 39(1): 79-85. 2012. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1007/s12114-011-9129-8?journalCode=rbpa.
  8. Johnson, Abrigale. “Baby Bonds: A Path Toward Prosperity for Future Generations.” ACLU. October 13, 2023. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.aclu.org/news/racial-justice/baby-bonds-a-path-toward-prosperity-for-future-generations.
  9. “Baby Bonds.” Prosperity Now. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://prosperitynow.org/baby-bonds; Johnson, Abrigale. “Baby Bonds: A Path Toward Prosperity for Future Generations.” ACLU. October 13, 2023. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.aclu.org/news/racial-justice/baby-bonds-a-path-toward-prosperity-for-future-generations; Brown, Madeline, Ofronama Biu, Catherine Harvey, Trina Shanks. “The State of Baby Bonds. Urban Institute. February 2023. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/The%20State%20of%20Baby%20Bonds.pdf.
  10. Aja, Alan, Darrick Hamilton, William Darity Jr. “How Cities Can Do Better Than the Fight for $15.” Yes! Solutions Journal. October 6, 2017. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.yesmagazine.org/economy/2017/10/06/how-cities-and-towns-can-do-better-than-the-fight-for-15.
  11. Aja, Alan, Darrick Hamilton, William Darity Jr. “How Cities Can Do Better Than the Fight for $15.” Yes! Solutions Journal. October 6, 2017. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.yesmagazine.org/economy/2017/10/06/how-cities-and-towns-can-do-better-than-the-fight-for-15.
  12. “Our Team.” Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://racepowerpolicy.org/our-team/.
  13. “Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy.” The New School. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://racepowerpolicy.org.
  14. [1] “Direct Cash Payment.” Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://racepowerpolicy.org.
  15. “Direct Cash Payment.” Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://racepowerpolicy.org.
  16. “Our Partners.” Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://racepowerpolicy.org.
  17.  “Darrick Hamilton.” Brookings Institution. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.brookings.edu/people/darrick-hamilton/; “Darrick Hamilton, PhD.” Marguerite Casey Foundation Freedom Scholars. 2020. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.caseygrants.org/2020-freedom-scholars/darrick-hamilton-phd.
  18. “Darrick Hamilton Appointed to the New York City Racial Justice Commission.” The New School. March 23, 2021. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://ww2.newschool.edu/pressroom/pressreleases/2021/DarrickHamiltonAppointedtoRacialJusticeCommission.htm.
  19. “Establish A Racial Equity Office, Plan, and Commission.” NYC Racial Justice Commission. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://racialjustice.cityofnewyork.us/ballot/proposal-2/; “Add A Statement of Values to Guide Government.” NYC Racial Justice Commission. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://racialjustice.cityofnewyork.us/ballot/proposal-1/; “Measure the True Cost of Living.” NYC Racial Justice Commission. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://racialjustice.cityofnewyork.us/ballot/proposal-3/.
  20. Center for Responsive Politics. “Darrick Hamilton.” Opensecrets.org. March 22, 2021. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=Darrick+hamilton; “My Story.” Morgan Harper for Congress. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://morganharper.org; “John Conyers III.” Ballotpedia. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://ballotpedia.org/John_Conyers_III_(Michigan_U.S._House_candidate).
  21. “Darrick Hamilton.” Brookings Institution. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.brookings.edu/people/darrick-hamilton/.
  22. “Board of Directors.” Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://iwpr.org/leadership-2/.
  23. “Bellagio Residents.” Rockefeller Foundation. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/bellagio-center/residency-program/bellagio-residents/?pages=5.
  24. “Curriculum Vitae.” Darrick Hamilton. January 2016. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.ineteconomics.org/uploads/cv/D.-Hamilton-CV_85_b.pdf.
  25. “Freedom Scholars.” Marguerite Casey Foundation. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.caseygrants.org/freedom-scholars; “Freedom Scholars 2020. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.caseygrants.org/freedom-scholars-archive.
  26. “Freedom Scholars.” Marguerite Casey Foundation. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.caseygrants.org/freedom-scholars.
  27. “Darrick Hamilton.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrick-hamilton-37010b15/.
  28. “Darrick Hamilton.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrick-hamilton-37010b15/.
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