Who Do You Serve? And How? Reflections on Community-based Participatory Research in the Era of Evidence-based Policy and Practice
President Biden's 2021 Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, may be the most significant federal initiative to address the systemic racial and economic inequities first highlighted in the 1968 Kerner Commission Report. In today's era of evidence-based policy and practice, research is a fundamental component of how our society changes and reforms; of how we produce better outcomes for a better world. Accordingly, we face a critical task: How shall we center E.O. 13985's definition of equity and inclusion within evidence-based research? Recognizing the powerful role evidence synthesis plays in modern criminology, this presentation will reflect on lessons learned from implementing a community-based participatory research project where the primary objective is to align equity with the current paradigm of evidence-based policy and practice.
Dr. Ajima Olaghere is Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Temple University.