PolicyLink

PolicyLink is a national research and action institute dedicated to advancing economic and social equity. They focus on policies affecting low-income communities and communities of color.

Background

Founded in 1999 by Angela Glover Blackwell, PolicyLink facilitates community and grassroots organizers in creating sustainable communities that work towards bridging . PolicyLink’s goals include providing access to green jobs, affordable housing, transportation, and creating healthy neighborhoods. Based on the idea of localism, PolicyLink relies on local residents and organizations to accomplish its goals. The group shares its findings and analysis through its website, publications and blog as well as national summits, and briefings with national and local policymakers.

Focus areas

Center for Health and Place

Angela Glover Blackwell, PolicyLink CEO, wrote in the Washington Post that "Congress must start thinking of health beyond health care...We can no longer afford to have a 'sickness-driven' view of our health. We must create healthier communities—places with easy access to fresh food, parks, safe streets, and clean air—to help all Americans live healthier, longer lives and reduce health-care costs while we're at it." This focus on health policy has led to the group’s collaborations with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity and The Healthy Eating Active Living Convergence Partnership.

Board of directors

PolicyLink's board of directors includes:

• James O. Gibson, Center for the Study of Social Policy (Chair)
• Joan Walsh, Salon
• Angela Glover Blackwell, PolicyLink CEO
• William Julius Wilson, Harvard University
• Melvin L. Oliver, UC Santa Barbara
• Geoffrey Canada, author and CEO of Harlem Children's Zone
• Catherine S. Muther, Three Guineas Fund
• Sheri Dunn Berry, Los Angeles United Methodist Urban Foundation
• Richard Baron, McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc.
• Stewart Kwoh, Asian Pacific American Legal Center

External links

• PolicyLink
• Equity Blog