514. Roland Fryer Refuses to Lie to Black America

Freakonomics Radio

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Society & Culture, Documentary

4.5 • 32.9K Ratings

🗓️ 1 September 2022

⏱️ 60 minutes

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Summary

The controversial Harvard economist, recently back from a suspension, “broke a lot of glass early in my career,” he says. His research on school incentives and police brutality won him acclaim — but also enemies. Now he’s taking a hard look at corporate diversity programs. The common thread in his work? “I refuse to not tell the truth.”

Transcript

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0:00.0	In 2005, I wrote a piece for The New York Times magazine called,
0:08.5	Toured a Unified Theory of Black America.
0:11.6	It was a profile of a young Harvard economist named Roland Freyer,
0:16.1	whose journey to Harvard was beyond surprising,
0:20.2	beyond unpredictable.
0:22.4	Given his background, it may have seemed impossible.
0:25.6	And yet, there he was.
0:28.2	A lot of things happened to get Freyer into the upper echelons of academia.
0:33.0	And even more has happened since much of it controversial.
0:37.5	How does Freyer describe his research agenda today?
0:41.1	Trying to make Black America happier, wealthier, healthier, more educated.
0:46.1	That's all I've ever tried to do.
0:47.7	And I refuse to lie to them.
0:49.8	So Roland, it feels like most public discussions about race these days.
0:54.9	At least the ones that I read in academia, in journalism, and elsewhere,
0:59.7	do treat Blackness as essentially a handicap.
1:03.8	What are the costs to that perception?
1:09.4	I mean, how much time you got?
1:13.0	We've got plenty of time.
1:15.4	Today, on Freakin' I'm X-ray-Doh, a conversation with Roland Freyer
1:18.8	about his research on policing.
1:21.2	I had a five-hour meeting with Obama and other folks.
	...

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