A conversation with Dr. Jhacova Williams, an associate economist at the RAND Corporation. The discussion will be moderated by Alexis J. Stokes, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Harvard SEAS.

Dr. Jhacova Williams is an applied microeconomist focusing primarily on economic history and cultural economics. Her previous work has examined Southern culture and the extent to which historical events have impacted the political behavior and economic outcomes of Southern Blacks. Recent examples include historical lynchings and the political participation of Blacks; and Confederate symbols and labor market differentials. She has also done a series of projects investigating the role of structural racism in shaping racial economic disparities in labor markets. Her work has used various research designs to assess causal effects. She received a B.S. in mathematics from Xavier University of Louisiana, a M.S. in applied mathematics from the University of Maryland at College Park, and a Ph.D. in economics from Louisiana State University.