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The life and speeches of Sadie Alexander : The Indicator from Planet Money Sadie Alexander was the first African-American to earn a PhD in economics. We think her contributions deserve another look.

The Indicator from Planet Money

Sadie Alexander, America's First Black Economist

Sadie Alexander, America's First Black Economist

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Sadie Alexander was the first African-American to earn a PhD in economics.
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Creative Commons/University of Pennsylvania
Sadie Alexander was the first African-American to earn a PhD in economics.
Creative Commons/University of Pennsylvania

The American Economics Association is taking a fresh look at the effects of racism within the economics profession. On June 5 it issued a statement saying "we have only begun to understand racism and its impact on our profession and our discipline."

And right now, as nationwide protests have re-focused attention on racism and racial inequality, we thought we'd take the opportunity to re-run an episode that profiles one of our favorite economists, Sadie Alexander. She was the first Black economist to earn a PhD in the United States, and she lived an extraordinary life. Her work on economic racial equality is still remarkably relevant today.

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