I took a few weeks off to get re-energized.
Over the past week, I had the opportunity to share my thoughts about disaggregating data as a guest on NPR’s Marketplace, as part of the Equity Series Panel, “Measuring What we Value: Bridging Gaps in Data and Reporting on Race and Ethnicity,” Ways and Means Committee, and as a guest on the Malveaux Show.
Here is an excerpt from my conversation with Kai Ryssdal of Marketplace.
Ryssdal: What do you suppose it looks like? If we collectively — right, because it’s our challenge — if we get this right?
Sharpe: When we get this right, we can have honest conversations about our inequality. And then, we can begin to have collective conversations about how do we address that.
Ryssdal: Which I absolutely understand it. And obviously, we get better policy when that happens. But let me ask you the reality check question. The American economy is a $20 trillion beast. It is hard to maneuver and get policy decisions made in the best of times. Is it really possible to make these decisions at such a granular level, do you think?
Sharpe: So yes and no. And so my yes is we have seen that when we are concerned about the economy when we are concerned about people, we move. I think what’s most important about this, and what I like to say is the beauty of disaggregating data, is that every person, every business and sector, can see themselves in the data. It influences, I think, just overall how we see America progressing towards an equitable society. And that’s not a partisan issue.
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