Our 2021 programming theme is The Work Left to Do, and within that theme, we’ll explore a different focus each month. In the first Tea of the month, we will look at a topic from a broader perspective to understand the universal and legal challenges. For the second Tea of the month, we will speak with someone who is doing the work to educate and/or advance change so we can understand the continuing challenges and how we contribute to change in our own communities. For the month of April, our programming focused on economic justice.

Our April 29 Tea Guest was Sarah Ludwig, Founder, and Co-Director of the New Economy Project, a New York City-based organization whose mission is to build an economy that works for all, based on cooperation, equity, social and racial justice, and ecological sustainability.

Sarah Ludwig is the founder and co-director of New Economy Project. Established in 1995, New Economy Project seeks to build a just economy that works for all, rooted in racial and gender justice, cooperation, and ecological sustainability. A longtime leader in the movement for neighborhood financial justice and equity, Sarah has testified at numerous public hearings, trained hundreds of community organizers and advocates, and built effective city- and statewide coalitions that address manifestations of structural racism and other inequities in our economy. New Economy Project’s current campaigns focus on creating institutions and policies that build community wealth and ensure self-determination, from public banking to community land trusts, social housing, and more. Sarah serves on the board of directors of the Center for Responsible Lending. She graduated from Bryn Mawr College, where she majored in “The Growth & Structure of Cities,” received a law degree from NYU School of Law, where she was an Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Liberties Fellow, and a master’s degree in urban planning, also from NYU.

Sarah and Kristan discussed how the New Economy Project achieves its mission by supporting cooperative and community-controlled development, and by challenging corporations that harm communities and perpetuate inequality and poverty.

Watch the recording of the program on our YouTube channel below:

Thank You to Our Sponsor

The Robert H. Jackson Center is proud to be the recipient of an Action Grant award by Humanities New York (HNY) for innovative public humanities offerings. Awards were made to non-profits in every region of the state, from the North Country to Long Island.

These grants are federally funded through the National Endowment for the Humanities, thanks to the United States Congress. Previous years have included New York State funding.

Action Grants offer up to $5,000 to implement humanities projects that encourage public audiences to reflect on their values, explore new ideas, and engage with others in their community. Grants are awarded to organizations that connect audiences more deeply to the communities where they live, solidify community partnerships, diversify audiences, and creatively employ the tools of the humanities to respond to issues and ideas capturing the imagination and passion of New Yorkers today. Action Grants are offered twice a year with a Spring and Fall deadline.

The Jackson Center used its grant award to support our April Tea Time with the Jackson Center programs.