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  1. About

Mission and Areas of Focus

"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line." - WEB DuBois, 1903

Although progress has been made since these words were spoken more than a hundred years ago, America’s race-related problems remain with us in the 21st century. Race and ethnicity matter in virtually all aspects of our society and are likely to matter more as our society becomes even more diverse.

The mission of the center is to conduct applied social-science research on race, color, and ethnicity and their influence on the quality of life for all Americans.

The University of Pittsburgh established the center in 2002 to help lead America further along the path to social justice by conducting race-related research, mentoring emerging scholars, and disseminating race-related research findings and scholarship. CRSP is multidisciplinary in its approach and multiracial in its focus and was the first race-related research center to be housed in a school of social work.

The center focuses on race-related social problems in the following 8 areas:

Economics

Examines racial disparities in economic conditions, access to opportunities, and outcomes for workers and business owners.

Education

Studies racial differences in levels of attainment and seeks to improve outcomes from early to postsecondary education.

Health

Examines racial disparities in health conditions across the life span, access to and quality of care, and strategies for reducing disparities.

Law

Examines racial disparities in the criminal justice system and seeks strategies for reducing recidivism and increasing fairness in the treatment of all citizens.

Mental Health

Studies the relevance of race and culture in relations to mental health services access and outcomes.

Older Adults

Studies racial conditions surrounding the older generations.

Race Relations

Inspects interracial group dynamics and provides insight and strategies to improve intergroup relations.

Youth Development

Inspects the shifting patterns in family composition and their consequences; trends in the quality of life of parents and children; and alternative interventions.