America's First Black Economist: Sadie Alexander's Enduring Insights on Unemployment and Unpaid Labor

This episode delves into the groundbreaking economic contributions of Sadie Tanner Moselle Alexander, America's first African-American Economist, whose work is being revitalized by Nah Banks, an associate professor at Bucknell University. Alexander's core concern was economic insecurity, particularly its disproportionate impact on Black workers, and she passionately advocated for a federal Full Employment Program. She believed that addressing unemployment was central to resolving broader social problems and preventing societal unrest, a perspective presented as highly relevant to contemporary issues such as the decline of labor unions and the rise of political polarization.

Alexander's analysis extended to the competitive dynamics between white and Black workers, noting the perceived entitlement of white workers to jobs and urging for labor union solidarity to achieve higher wages. A significant aspect of her work, written as early as 1930, was the critical examination of how household work became devalued and no longer considered productive with the rise of the market economy. Nah Banks expands on this, highlighting the extensive unpaid community work performed by women of color, defining it as vital labor that often goes unrecognized and unquantified, yet provides immense benefits to communities, particularly in challenging racial oppression and environmental injustices.

From a practical standpoint, Alexander's call for a federal job guarantee is presented as a concrete solution to reduce competition among workers and mitigate social strife, advocating for the redistribution of resources into public works programs. The discussion suggests that increased access to jobs and higher earnings could alleviate the necessity for some unpaid community activities, allowing individuals to redirect their productive energies. It also emphasizes the qualitative value of this community work, arguing that attempts to quantify it might paradoxically undervalue its profound impact, such as its role in reducing systemic racism.

Ultimately, the episode connects Alexander's historical insights to modern challenges, including the pervasive economic insecurity, the decimation of labor unions, and their implications for political outcomes. It underscores the deep interrelationship between economic stability, social cohesion, and the health of democracy. By broadening the definition of "work" to include vital community-sustaining activities, especially those performed by marginalized groups, the podcast suggests that addressing economic insecurity could fundamentally transform community dynamics, potentially reducing issues like excessive policing in African-American communities and fostering a different quality of life.

"the cause of economic insecurity and how it can be overcome must be made clear to all classes of the public in language that each can understand in order that America May await the orderly solution of the problem and not in despair turn over its freedom in exchange for the vain Promises of a self-proclaimed Messiah"

"my mission has been trying to bring her economics back into economic analysis and that's a a project of feminist economics to restore the writings of our early women Economist"

"she really believed that the root of economic insecurity and the root of social problems in the United States were tied to unemployment"

"if we had a federal job guarantee then it would certainly lessen competition among workers over jobs they wouldn't be limited and we wouldn't see the kind of ugliness that we that we have witnessed"

"her argument was that with the rise of the market that household work came to be devalued as work it was no longer regarded as productive"

"I'm extending the the focus of unpaid work beyond the household to the realm of the community because that's where women of color are performing a lot of unpaid work in support of their communities"

"many of our social problems are tied to lack of jobs you know because having a job um is more than just having a paycheck it's also about self-esteem and identity"

"quantifying it would in many ways undervalue it continue to undervalue the work that's performed and the benefits to the community"

"if more people had access to jobs that that would decrease the tendency for the police to be there in Moss for example"