The Institute for Research on Race & Public Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago promotes and coordinates engaged research on racial and ethnic justice in the U.S.

Race Dot Map of Chicago with circular pattern above it with Economy, Justice, Education, Housing, and Health circles surrounding a central Race circle

Our mission is to increase society’s understanding of the root causes of racial and ethnic inequality and to provide the public, organizers, practitioners, and policymakers with research-based policy solutions. To fulfill that mission, IRRPP funds research on race and ethnicity, trains scholars to participate in policy discussions, collaborates on social justice projects with community organizations, and holds events exploring the link between policy and racial and ethnic injustice.

Support IRRPP’s work by making an online gift

News from IRRPP

image of people marching with fists up in the air before a colorful rainbow background and text about the event
Video: Revolutionary Mothering Event
Monday, April 5, 2021
On March 8, 2021, IRRPP held an event in celebration of International Women’s Day to honor the often invisible mothering and caretaking labor that has been essential to Chicago-based movements for racial justice…
a nursing home hallway with a stray walker and a carpet made of coronavirus shapes in gray. The text has the title of the event, hosts, time, how to register, and a description of the event
Disability as Disposability: AIDS, COVID, and the Manufacturing of a Viral Underclass
Saturday, March 27, 2021
On April 21 at 3:00pm, join IRRPP and the Health Humanities Program at the College of Medicine for a talk by Northwestern University professor Steven Thrasher who will present a chapter from his…

What We Are Reading

a woman at a restaurant talks to a group of four women about voting

Including Arab Americans in the Biden Administration is not Enough

Posted on March 29, 2021

In a new article in Jadaliyya, Nadine Naber calls for a “root-cause” approach to allow us to envision structural changes that can ensure not only an end to anti-Arab bigotry but also a world where anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism become unimaginable.

A shadow of a figure is present over a road blocked by a fallen column. In the distance is a tall classical sculpture

Investment in public higher education is a racial justice issue

Posted on March 27, 2021

In a new op-ed in Crain's, we point out that IRRPP's new report shows that declining public support for higher education is a textbook example of structural discrimination, with a disproportionate negative impact on Black and Latinx young people.

Latest Report: Chicago's Racial Wealth Gap

This report centers the life experiences of middle class Black, Latinx, and White families to demonstrate how an in-depth understanding of wealth inequality contributes to their different financial opportunities and family experiences. The report makes clear that there is much work to be done to support our middle class families, many of whom are contending today not just with the legacies of past inequities, but also with the ongoing failures of public policy to address basic needs.

Read More

Upcoming Events

View the Full IRRPP Events Calendar

Scholar Spotlights