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Recognizing Pioneering Economist and Professor Dr. Bernard E. Anderson on the occasion of Black History Month
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WHEREAS, Nationally renowned economist Dr. Bernard E. Anderson, Whitney M. Young, Jr. Professor Emeritus at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, was the second African American ever appointed to the Wharton faculty and the first to receive tenure; and
WHEREAS, During his boyhood in Philadelphia’s 7th Ward, which W.E.B. Du Bois had painstakingly documented only decades earlier for his seminal sociological work The Philadelphia Negro, Dr. Anderson noticed the differences between Blacks and whites: how much or little money they had, how they spent it, and the quality of housing available to both groups; and
WHEREAS, The unfairness he saw in his youth troubled Dr. Anderson so deeply that he decided to major in economics during his freshman year at Livingstone College, in order to explore racial disparities in economic life and related areas. He later completed graduate-level studies in economics at Michigan State University under some of the country’s leading institutional labor economists, including Dr. Andrew F. Brimmer, who served as his advisor and would later become his lifelong mentor; and
WHEREAS, After earning his Ph.D at the University of Pennsylvania, becoming only the seventh Black person to do so, and joining the faculty at Wharton, Dr. Anderson began to look for real solutions, outside of academia, to the employment and economic development problems felt most acutely by African Americans; and
WHEREAS, This vital work led to his 1993 appointment by President William J. Clinton as Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employment Standards Administration - a job in which he implemented policies that created 23 million new jobs and reduced Black youth unemployment to its lowest level in 25 years; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Anderson’s additional accomplishments are numerous and manifest, and they include service on the boards of the Rockefeller Foundation, United Bank of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Urban League, the Franklin Institute, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, among others. He is also the author of six books and several scholarly and popular publications on labor markets, economic performance, and community economic revitalization, and he has been recognized repeatedly for his work, including the bestowal of six honorary degrees; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his storied career, Dr. Anderson has mentored, supported and encouraged young minority economists to excel in their studies, find compelling areas of interest and make them their own. He has also served as mentor and advisor to government officials and other leaders in the civic space; and
WHEREAS, Today, Dr. Anderson continues his vital work toward making the practice of America equal to the promise of America by promoting the implementation of policies that would benefit all Americans, while eliminating racial disparities in economic life. These include the achievement of full employment, encouragement of the participation of African Americans in all sectors of the economy, and targeted federal investment toward people and communities in the greatest need. Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, that this Council recognizes pioneering economist and professor Dr. Bernard E. Anderson on the occasion of Black History Month.
FURTHER RESOLVED, that an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Dr. Bernard E. Anderson as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.
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