Forging a Progressive Response to Fragmentation

For some, the defeat of Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election and the prosecution of January 6th insurrectionists might suggest that US democracy has remained strong through years of social and political instability. In this year’s State of the Union address, President Joe Biden claimed that US democracy is “unbowed and unbroken.” However, it would be remiss to believe that the threat of authoritarianism has abated.

Beyond Equity: Unpacking Targeted Universalism

On March 8, 2023, Director john a. powell led a discussion on targeted universalism at the Leadership Learning Series hosted by the Institute for Nonprofit Practice. During the session, powell first discussed the concept, explored how it can help...

john a. powell in conversation with Isabel Wilkerson about her book, 'Caste'

OBI Director john a. powell on February 17, 2023 interviewed Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson at San Francisco's Sydney Goldstein Theater about her most recent book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Hosted by City Arts & Lectures...

Poll: Fewer OC Residents Experience Belonging in Schools than in Other Public Places

Schools are the context where Orange County residents are least likely to experience a sense of belonging, according to a survey conducted prior to the 2022-23 academic year by the Othering and Belonging Institute at University of California, Berkeley (OBI) and Orange County Congregation Community Organization (OCCCO).

Zoning Reform Tracker

The Othering & Belonging Institute is proud to launch the Zoning Reform Tracker, which is meant to serve as a hub for documenting zoning reform efforts across the United States. There are two components to the Zoning Reform Tracker: a sortable database, and an interactive webmap.

Does Diversity Matter? In Tyre Nichols' Case, It Didn't

People have been asking me how I make sense of the fact that all five of the Memphis police officers who beat Tyre Nichols to death in that heinous attack were Black. Does that mean the attack was not racist? Does it negate race as a factor in the...

Othering & Belonging Institute condemns brutal killing of Tyre Nichols

We at the Othering & Belonging Institute are anguished by the murder of Tyre Nichols by five police officers in Memphis. We condemn in the strongest terms the inhumane actions of those five officers. Tyre was a worker, a skateboarder, and an artist...

Video: A New Theory of the Self with Bayo Akomolafe and Indy Johar

On January 19, 2023 Indy Johar of Dark Matter Labs and Global Senior Fellow Bayo Akomolafe explored a set of questions about the self: what if the self is not as estranged or as independent as we often suppose it is? If we are to take seriously...

California adopts OBI's latest opportunity maps

BERKELEY: The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) has reapproved the use of an opportunity map developed by the Othering & Belonging Institute (OBI) and partners. The adoption of the 2023 Opportunity Map marks the sixth consecutive...

Black lives matter, But to whom?

Today, we're thrilled to share an extraordinary new work from our Global Senior Fellow Bayo Akomolafe. In many ways, Bayo's piece defies any simple description or summary, but at its most basic, this two-part essay seeks to explore the limits of the...

Podcast: Does Integration Close Racial Disparities?

In this episode of Who Belongs? we hear from Darrell Owens, a policy analyst at California Yimby, and a writer on Substack who focuses on housing, planning, displacement, mobility and other issues. He just authored a new piece called Segregation or...

The History of Corporate Power

This article is derived from, but not a synopsis of, " Beyond Public/Private: Understanding Excessive Corporate Prerogative" by john a. powell and Stephen Menendian, which makes the case that corporations have overstepped their appropriate role in...

Berkeley institute breaks down structural racism in visual explainer video

UC Berkeley's Othering & Belonging Institute on Monday released a new visual explainer video and teaching guide on structural racism which helps resolve confusion around some common terms and concepts. Designed primarily for high school educators...

Structural Racism Explained

The “Structural Racism Explained” video draws upon many varied sources in formulating specific definitions for different types of racism. The video and prompts provided in this video and teaching guide are designed primarily for teachers to help students clarify and sharpen their understanding of the material.

2022 Impact Stories

Since our founding in 2012 we've believed that research shouldn't be conducted merely for the sake of research. An ancient proverb reminds us, "To know and not to do is not to know." In that spirit our commitment has been for our research center to...

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Targeted Universalism Case Study: Vision for Baltimore

Vision for Baltimore (V4B) is a successful program at Baltimore City Schools (BCS) designed to provide annual vision screenings for all students and, when necessary, to provide follow-up eye exams and eyeglasses at no cost to families. Download PDF...
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Depolarization Day

Want a chance to hear from experts studying the root of what’s driving us apart and how we come back together? Eager to build the skills to listen empathetically, elicit narratives of connection, and interview professionally? Looking for a chance...

The Power of Bridging

A research-backed guide for building bridges across difference in any area of our lives, from esteemed civil rights scholar john a. powell. We don't want to live in a society in turmoil. In the US, 93 percent of people want to reduce divisiveness...