‘Triple Pandemic’ showcases the breadth of Wilder School research

BY DAVID HAYTER

As part of the Wilder School Racial Equity Action Plan research priorities, Elsie Harper-Anderson, Jay Albanese and Susan Gooden co-edited the volume “Racial Equity, COVID-19, and Public Policy: The Triple Pandemic,” published by Routledge in February. This volume takes a critical look at how many existing areas of racial inequality in the United States rose to the surface as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. Broad and interdisciplinary in its approach, the collection of original research unites faculty from each of the Wilder School’s program areas. Utilizing a variety of research methods, each chapter falls under one of three subsections that comprise the “triple pandemic”: health, justice and economics. The chapters weave historical context and exacerbations caused by COVID-19 with policy implications and recommendations. In a foreword to the volume, Governor L. Douglas Wilder notes with pride that the authors “coalesce in providing a blueprint and guidelines to deal with present and future problems.” The book, he notes, will “provide awareness, research and solutions from which to draw in meaningful resolve.” Beyond strict policy implications, Governor Wilder notes that all readers “will be further enlightened as to what every citizen can do” to battle racial injustice in the U.S. moving forward.

image of the cover of the triple pandemic report

The volume has 25 authors, including 16 Wilder School faculty members, three Wilder School Ph.D. students, three Wilder School alumni, three faculty members from other universities and two practitioners:

Jay Albanese
RaJade M. Berry-James
Curtis Brown
Maria Dougherty
Nakeina Douglas-Glenn
Lindsey Evans
Susan Gooden
Elsie Harper-Anderson
Kate Howell
Amidu Kalokoh
Brittany Keegan
Steven Keener
Hans Louis-Charles
Christina Mancini
Robyn McDougle
Will Pelfrey
Grant Rissler
Jacqueline Smith-Mason
Frances Stadlin
Nathan Teklemariam
Ben Teresa
Lemir Teron
Janice B. Underwood
Blue Wooldridge
Chernoh Wurie