In the near future, we plan to introduce legislation establishing the Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander Prize for Economic and Social Thought.
 
Born in Philadelphia in 1898, Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander became the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Sadie Alexander would follow this distinction by becoming the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the first African American woman admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar.
 
Along with her husband, Philadelphia attorney Raymond Pace Alexander, Sadie Alexander worked to dismantle racial barriers in Northern cities in the early part of the 20th century. Her work, rooted in and informed by an understanding of justice and fairness, led to an eventual appointment on President Truman’s Committee on Human Rights where she helped to develop the concept of a national civil rights policy.
 
Throughout her life, Alexander merged economic, legal, and civic thinking to shape the world around her. In recognition of her work and in the hope that such work will be continued, this legislation will direct the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Community and Economic Development, to administer this annual, competitive prize reserved for Pennsylvania residents whose work advances serious, evidence-based engagement in the field of economics.
 
As part of the prize, recipients would be expected to deliver a public lecture, publish a written address, or make their work publicly available through the Department of Education. This would ensure that the prize not only rewards serious work, but also makes that work accessible to residents, educators, local leaders, and civic institutions across the Commonwealth.
 
Pennsylvania faces major economic questions that will shape the future of our communities, workers, families, businesses, schools, hospitals, and public institutions. In the face of these difficult questions, we need to amplify voices of residents capable of translating economic complexity into public understanding and constructive problem-solving. This legislation will work to promote these voices.
 
Please join us in cosponsoring this legislation to inspire, recognize, and expand the reach of the next generation of thought leaders.