I had a great conversation with a reporter about research and communication. I said that generating good research is hard; having that research materialize into policy is harder.

When @jtrothwell, @DBHarshbarger and I put out the Devaluation of Assets report, we knew we were on to something big. However, we've been really good at socializing that work for more than 2 years and policy change is on the horizon. https://brook.gs/2Ad4ICL  via @BrookingsInst

There is a saying that "culture eats policy for breakfast." This is true. And white supremacy is the ultimate conspiracy theory that has been socialized for centuries. Fact finders are up against this anti-intellectual, hate driven culture.

This is why researchers must be conversant with culture. We must understand how this culture affects our work, and we must understand how that culture forms communities.

Housing devaluation is byproduct of a white supremacist culture, manifested in various aspects of the housing market. As researchers we have to challenge that culture that has shaped how our communities look and function - not easy work.

Good research must be socialized in book clubs, city council meetings, music festivals, board rooms and with everyday people. It's time consuming, but if the research doesn't touch culture, it will never get to policy.

Research is often produced in Ivory Towers, but good research doesn't belong there. Good research is needed in the streets, schools and dinner tables. How we communicate that research is critical to those ends.