C. Nicole Mason, PhD is Research Assistant Professor and Executive Director of the Women of Color Policy Network at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at NYU. She is also a senior research fellow at the National Council for Research on Women.

Blog Entries by C. Nicole Mason

Job Creation and Recovery for All: African-Americans, Latinos and The Stimulus Part II

Posted November 18, 2009 | 03:30 PM (EST)


The Administration is mulling over the possibility of another stimulus bill that would focus on job creation. The likely companion to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 comes at time when the national unemployment rate has hit a record high of 10.2 percent. In the African-American community, unemployment...

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Thirty Years Later Rape Is Still Rape: Polanski's Date with Lady Justice

32 Comments | Posted September 29, 2009 | 12:25 PM (EST)


How naïve of Roman Polanski to think we'd forget that he was a wanted man despite the many films he's made and awards he's won over the last three decades. Time does heal old wounds, but in Polanksi's case Lady Justice has proven to be a patient and watchful woman....

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Beer, Cigarettes and Flat Screen TVs: Targeting the Poor in Times of Economic Crisis

1 Comments | Posted September 9, 2009 | 02:29 PM (EST)


If I received one bailout dollar for every time a poor person was accused of spending hard earned tax payer money on beer, cigarettes, and flat screen televisions, I'd be rich -- or at least as rich as AIG, who coincidentally received over $70 billion from the government to stave...

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Wise Women Unite! What Sotomayor Should Have Said

8 Comments | Posted July 15, 2009 | 11:37 AM (EST)


I suppose it's a good thing Sotomayor's confirmation hearings have been a little boring and uneventful. I keep waiting for the scandalous hidden love affair to emerge, but nothing. No affair, unpaid taxes, or skeletons to derail her confirmation -- hats off to the team that vetted her nomination.

...
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An Oldie, but not so Goodie: Updating the U.S. Poverty Measure

3 Comments | Posted June 18, 2009 | 03:00 PM (EST)


There are only a few things that have not been updated since the 1960s -- the U.S. poverty measure is one of them. As far as statistical measures go, it's the equivalent of using the Twister board game, also invented in the 1960s, for exercise rather than the Nintendo Wii....

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When Did Newt and the Gang Become Experts on Race? Playing the Race Card Against Sotomayor

22 Comments | Posted June 3, 2009 | 12:05 PM (EST)


If I attend a Black Church and tithe once a week, does that make me a racist? How about if I donate my time to an organization committed to ensuring young black men avoid prison, would that make me a racist? Probably not. For Sotomayor, however, Republicans and Newt Gingrich...

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Hell Never Looked So Good: Sotomayor A Solid Choice for High Court

1 Comments | Posted May 26, 2009 | 01:59 PM (EST)


Shortly after Obama's win, I heard someone lament that this country is going to hell in a hand basket. Well if this is hell, give me a tall glass of ice water.

This morning, Obama announced Sonia Sotomayor as his pick to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat that...

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Blacks and Latinos Barely Afloat During Recession: With High Rates of Unemployment, Obama's Recovery Plan Not Enough

2 Comments | Posted May 18, 2009 | 10:37 AM (EST)


Recent news stories have hinted that the recession might be coming to an end and that the economy may be on the rebound. Economists and pundits alike have begun to quietly sing the praises of the effects of the stimulus plan on rescuing states and cities from sure economic ruin....

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Open Letter to Mayor Bloomberg on Betsy Perry's Anti-Immigrant Post

3 Comments | Posted May 1, 2009 | 03:08 PM (EST)


Dear Mayor Bloomberg:

It looks like your campaign is starting to gear up as I am beginning to see television ads detailing how you plan to make New York City a great place for everyone to live and carry on efforts begun over your last eight years in office.

...
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Obama Gets Gender Right in First 100 Days: Women in Top Spots, Policies Signal Shift toward Equality

Posted April 20, 2009 | 01:50 PM (EST)


As the 100th day approaches, it is time to take stock of what the Obama Presidency has meant so far for women. Dating back to FDR, the first 100 days of a new administration have been a kind of preview of what is to come over the next four years....

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The Starlet and the Beast: Chris Brown and Rhianna's Scary Fairy Tale

Posted March 10, 2009 | 11:31 AM (EST)


Just a few short months ago, Chris Brown was the kind of young man you'd want your daughter to go to prom with; today he is the one you'd warn her to stay away from. This is bad news for a career built on 'tweens hanging posters on their bedroom...

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Blame the Banks, Not Homeowners for Foreclosure Crisis: Obama's Plan is a Step in the Right Direction

Posted February 23, 2009 | 09:22 AM (EST)


In this sour economy, there's certainly enough blame to go around. We can blame unregulated markets and lack of oversight. We can blame Bush and Alan Greenspan for failing to heed the warning signs of an impending recession. We might also blame inflation, high unemployment, and rising fuel and food...

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Worse Than We Thought: Unemployment Numbers May be 10-15% Higher than Stated

Posted January 14, 2009 | 09:13 AM (EST)


This week we learned the number of unemployed increased by 534,000, bringing the reported number of individuals unemployed to 11.2 million. In 2008 alone the number of unemployed has grew by 2.6 million -- that's nearly 7,123 jobs lost per day over a one-year period. These figures are just short...

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A Masculine Stimulus Package: Where Are the Jobs for Women?

Posted January 5, 2009 | 01:09 PM (EST)


Over the next several weeks, Congress will consider a proposed stimulus package of close to a trillion dollars to help move us toward economic recovery and create or save three million jobs. To do so, the administration will provide money to states for "shovel ready" projects to rebuild roads, highways,...

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Obama Has Good Taste in Women: Take a Look at His Cabinet

Posted December 22, 2008 | 05:16 PM (EST)



President-Elect Barack Obama is on track to nominate the most women to his cabinet than any other U.S. President in history. While President Bush had a record-holding five women appointed to his cabinet, including U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab, and Clinton had five in his Cabinet at the...

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Men Behaving Badly: The Need for Ethics Reform

Posted December 19, 2008 | 11:06 AM (EST)


As 2008 sputters to a close, and spurred by the recent political scandal involving the auctioning off of Barack Obama's senate seat by Governor Rod Blagojevich to the highest bidder, I can not help but reflect on how this past year has produced some of the most salacious stories in...

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