by Charles E Lewis Jr | Jan 29, 2026
I am certain many social workers, like me, have been consumed by the trauma faced daily by residents of Minneapolis, especially those who have taken it upon themselves to exercise what they believe is their civic responsibility to protest the brutal overreach of the...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Jan 12, 2026
Hundreds of social work researchers, faculty, and students nationwide are gathering in the nation’s capital this week for the Society of Social Work and Research (SSWR) Annual Conference at Washington, DC’s Marriott Marquis Hotel, with a focus on the theme, “Leading...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Nov 13, 2025
Millions of Americans suffered significant losses during the most recent federal government shutdown—the longest in the nation’s history. If there were any winners from this standoff, it is the Democratic Party. By forcing Trump and Republicans to take a stance...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Oct 21, 2025
This blog post title is borrowed from Michael Anasara’s memoir of his decades-long journey on the front lines of social movements in the United States, beginning with his teenage years in Massachusetts as a white male who found his way to segregated lunch counters...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Oct 1, 2025
On September 16, I had the distinct pleasure of moderating a meeting of the minds with three social work research scholars who have been engaged in shaping policies designed to support the development of children in the United States for decades. I’ve known fellow...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Sep 9, 2025
From left: Dr. Carla Hayden, Dr. Lisa Cook, and Gwynne Wilcox Black women have borne the brunt of Donald Trump’s ire. No doubt he’s spent countless hours fuming over the fact that Kamala Harris had the temerity to challenge him for his self-anointed role of President...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Jul 24, 2025
From left: Dr. Charles E. Lewis, Jr., Victor Armstrong, Dr. Altha Stewart, and Dr. Anthony Estreet. The crisis of black youth suicide continues to ring alarms. On Thursday, July 10, dozens of researchers, practitioners, advocates, policymakers, and people with lived...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Jun 26, 2025
If you haven’t paid much attention to New York City politics, a seismic development occurred this week as upstart New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani decisively defeated the former New York governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary for mayor. New York City...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Jun 12, 2025
Social worker and fellow alum from Columbia School of Social Work, Emily Ball Jabbour, decided to throw her hat into the ring as a candidate for mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey. She was elected to the Hoboken City Council in 2017 and re-elected to a second four-year term...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | May 28, 2025
The late Congressman Charlie Rangel, Ed Towns, and I attended the launch reception for the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP) at the Monocle Restaurant on April 16, 2013. Among the pleasant memories of my time in the U.S. House of...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | May 20, 2025
Gov. Wes Moore (D). Photo by Bryan P. Sears. Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s veto of Senate Bill 587, which would have established the Maryland Reparations Commission to conduct a two-year study of whether the state should provide reparations to citizens impacted by the...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | May 13, 2025
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (center) is flanked by Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (left) and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar As we watch in horror as Project 2025 wreaks its havoc on the American landscape, its policies, and institutions, the one...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Apr 22, 2025
Former Congresswoman Barbara Lee continues to emulate the legacy of her mentor, the late Ron Dellums, as she won the election to complete the term of ousted Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, who voters recalled in November. Dellums served as Oakland’s mayor from January 2007...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Mar 18, 2025
CRISP 2019 Award Winners We are pleased to announce the winners of our 2025 CRISP Awards. Each year, we recognize social workers and others who have contributed significantly to pursuing social work values and principles through Congress and the federal government....
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Mar 10, 2025
We are focusing on the need for social workers in political arenas. We’ve always been in legislative settings, participated in campaigns, mobilized voters, testified at hearings, and engaged in other activities. However, not many of us have worked in these arenas...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Feb 3, 2025
From Left: Dr. Carrie Pettus, Legislative Aide Santos Marino, Dr. Angelique Day, and Rebecca Goodwin of WSIPP. It is fitting to title my first blog during Black History Month with this lyric from Billie Holiday’s iconic song, “God Bless the Child,” as it...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Jan 12, 2025
The funeral service for former President James Earl Carter was an event of the magnitude deserving of someone who lived a life dedicated to helping others. The theme of that event attended by President Joseph Biden, who delivered the eulogy, and four remaining living...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Dec 30, 2024
Like many, I had no idea who James Earl Carter was when he declared his candidacy for President of the United States in 1974. He had served as governor of Georgia, a deeply conservative state, from 1971 to 1975. At that time, southern Democrats, known as Dixiecrats,...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Dec 22, 2024
If you are planning to arrive in Seattle early for the Society for Social Work and Research annual conference, we invite you to join CRISP, Wellbeing and Equity Innovations (WEI), and the University of Washington School of Social Work for an Innovation Day workshop on...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Dec 16, 2024
From left: CRISP Director Charles E. Lewis, Jr, CSWE CEO Dr. Halaevalu Vakalahi, Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Sylvia Garcia, NASW CEO Dr. Anthony Estreet. Dozens of social workers braved the cold, rainy, and swirling winds Wednesday evening to gather in the Rayburn House...
