About the Thora Institute

Mission Statement

The Thora Institute disseminates facts and analyses about black Americans for the purpose of improving the socioeconomic standing of black Americans. Thora Institute publications are geared toward refuting popular misconceptions about blacks and toward educating the public about the benefits of progressive public policy for blacks. The ultimate goal of the Thora Institute is a just, equitable and integrated society.

“Thora”?

In 1999, the mother of the founder, Judith Austin, passed away suddenly. Although her legal first name was Judith, she was known as Thora by family and close friends. The Institute is named Thora in memory of her.

Founder and Director

Algernon Austin
Mr. Austin received his Ph.D. in Sociology from Northwestern University in 2001 and was on the faculty of Wesleyan University from 2001 to 2005. In addition to his Thora Institute work, Mr. Austin is director of the Race, Ethnicity and the Economy Program at the Economic Policy Institute. He is the author of Achieving Blackness: Race, Black Nationalism, and Afrocentrism in the Twentieth Century and Getting It Wrong: How Black Public Intellectuals Are Failing Black America. He has published scholarly articles in Ethnic and Racial Studies, Qualitative Sociology, the Journal of African American Studies, and Race, Gender and Class.

The Thora Institute in the News

Newspapers
(all articles by Algernon Austin unless otherwise indicated)

• "U.S. Can Learn from Others on Health Care," New Haven Register, December 4, 2007.
• "Homegrown Scientific Talent Not Being Used," New Haven Register, June 20, 2007.


• "Time to Rethink Unsuccessful War on Drugs," New Haven Register, March 13, 2007.


• "High College Costs Sabotage Black Graduation Rates," New Haven Register, December 5, 2006, A8.


• Algernon Austin and Jared Bernstein, "Don't Blame Black Culture," Baltimore Sun, November 8, 2006.


• “Hispanics, Assumptions Oft Don’t Jibe” New Haven Register, July 25, 2006.


• Kam Williams, “Book Review: Getting It Wrong,” African American Literature Book Club, www.aalbc.com, July 21, 2006.


• "Drug Busts in Black and White," New Haven Advocate, July 6, 2006.


• “Cosby’s Just Plain Wrong on Black Poverty, Crime,” Hartord Courant, June 4, 2006


• "Sharpton Time,” New Haven Advocate, June 1, 2006


• “Is Black America Losing Ground?” New Haven Register, May 2, 2006.


• Mark Oppenheimer, "Race in Your Face: Algernon Austin Takes Liberals and Conservatives to Task on Race and Racism," New Haven Advocate, April 27, 2006.


• “Got Health Care?” Inner-City News (New Haven, CT), April 14-24, 2006.


• “NY Times’ Coverage of Black Men’s Plight Missed Cause: Racism,” San Francisco Bay View, April 5, 2006.


• “Beyond the Down Low: Being Smart About AIDS Prevention,” Inner-City News (New Haven, CT), March 30-April 6, 2006.


• Laura Goldblatt, “Lunchtime Discussion about AIDS in Black America,” Wesleyan Argus, February 21, 2006.


• “Black Progress Being Hidden,” Miami Times, February 8-14, 2006.


• “Testing Gaps Only Divert Attention from Black Students’ Progress,” New Haven Register, January 19, 2006.


• “Fight Against AIDS Requires Joint Effort,” New Haven Register, December 13, 2005.


• Ayana L. Haywood, “Institute Finds Black AIDS Rate Tenfold Higher Than White,” Amsterdam News, December 2, 2005.


• Staff, “AIDS and Race in New Haven,” New Haven Independent, December 1, 2005.


• “Thora Institute Says Many Black Intellectuals Are Getting It Wrong,” Los Angeles Sentinel, November 16, 2005.

Radio
Algernon Austin has appeared on American Urban Radio Network news, The Rachel Maddow Show on Air America Radio, Behind the News with Doug Henwood on WBAI (99.5 FM New York), Talk Back! with Hugh Hamilton on WBAI (99.5 FM New York), NPR: News and Notes, Mind Yo’ Business with Brian Higgins on XM 169 The Power, The Mark Riley Show on Air America Radio, Down By Law with Jay Bryant on XM 169 The Power, The P.A. Bennett Show on WGCV 620 (Columbia, S.C.), The Fiona Verde Show on Soul 106.3 WSRB (Chicago), We Ourselves with Ambrose I. Lane Sr. on XM 169 The Power, Shelley Winter’s show on 1380 WAOK (Atlanta), LIBRadio.com with Keidi Obi Awadu, Afrika Perry’s show on 102 JAMZ (WJMH, Greensboro, NC), The Nathan Ive Show on 1230am WDBZ (Cincinnati), The Exchange with Elmer Smith WHAT 1340am (Philadelphia), Prospering in America on WALD 1270am (Buffalo, NY), The Old Mole Variety Hour on KBOO (Portland, OR), and The Terrordome, CJSR FM 88.

Presentations

• The Future of Black America: The Burden of History or the Audacity of Hope?, Donnell Library, June 13, 2007.


• Lecture on "Challenging the Bill Cosby Consensus," John Jay College, March 20, 2007.


• Lecture on "Challenging the Bill Cosby Consensus," Connecticut College, February 27, 2007.


• Panelist on The Covenant with Black America Forum, The New Haven Black History Coalition's 4th Annual Black History Celebration, Gateway Community College, February 24, 2007.


• Lecture on "Challenging the Bill Cosby Consensus," Brookline Adult & Community Education, January 25, 2007.


• Lecture on “Getting It Wrong: How Black Public Intellectuals are Failing Black America,” Institute for African American Studies, University of Connecticut, November 7, 2006.


• Lecture on “Why Policy Organizations Need to Talk about Black Progress,” Economic Policy Institute, September 29, 2006.


• Lecture on “Discrimination, Criminal Records and Labor Markets” for Wendy Rayack’s Economics of Race and Ethnicity in U.S. Labor Markets class, Wesleyan University, September 21, 2006.


• Discussed the state of black America with The National Black Alliance Network, www.thenban.com, June 6, 2006.


• Participant in the symposium, Vision 2006: New Directions for Progressivism, sponsored by New Vision Institute and Demos, April 28-29, 2006.


• Southern Connecticut University, Lecture on “Lessons from the NAEP Tests for Black Education” for Gennaro Frumento’s Recent Developments in Science Education class, March 16, 2006.


• Wesleyan University, Center for African-American Studies Pizza and Policy Lunch on “The AIDS Crisis in Black America,” February 21, 2006.