Job Market Paper
The Defender on the Move: Black Newspapers and the Great Migration Paper Video
Recipient of 2026 HKS William Julius Wilson Research Award
Abstract: After 50 years of limited migration following emancipation, 1.5 million Black southerners made the journey north during the First Great Migration from 1915 to 1940. I examine whether information on northern life and jobs sparked Black migration using quasi-random variation in exposure to the Chicago Defender, the most prominent northern Black newspaper. Classifying the coverage of thousands of southern newspapers, I show that information about the North was limited prior to the Chicago Defender’s entry in the mid-1910s. To reach southern readers, the Chicago Defender partnered with Black railway porters working for the Illinois Central railroad. In cities along the railroad, I find that individuals who lived near a porter were 33% more likely to migrate north than similar individuals who did not. These individuals pulled relatives to migrate, consistent with information diffusion across social networks, and moved to cities that received more coverage in articles, ads, and job postings. Counties with access to the Chicago Defender were 1.5 times more likely to form an NAACP branch and experienced 1.4 times fewer lynchings.
Working Papers
Paywalls (with Desmond Ang, Stephen Pettigrew, and Ben Schneer) Paper
Under Review
Abstract: Over the past two decades, local newspapers have overwhelmingly adopted subscription paywalls, restricting access to those willing and able to pay. Combining hand-collected paywall data for the universe of U.S. daily newspapers with household-level web-browsing data, we document the distributional consequences of this transition for news consumption, political behavior, and civic knowledge. Paywalls reduce local readership and skew the remaining audience wealthier. Rather than seeking out alternative sources of area news, displaced readers substitute toward national outlets, which lean more liberal than local papers. This reallocation drives voters leftward and reduces local knowledge, with the largest effects among low-income households.
State of Mind and Human Capital Formation: Evidence from Indian Schools (with Kevin Carney)
Abstract: Around 83% of U.S. K-12 schools have implemented a social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum, yet we have little evidence on their efficacy. We study the effects of India’s “Happiness Curriculum,” the world’s largest SEL curriculum, reaching millions of students in grades 1–8. The Happiness Curriculum replaces the first 30 minutes of each school day with guided mindfulness meditation followed by stories and activities designed to help students understand their thoughts, emotions, and relationships. We conduct a randomized control trial in partnership with the state of Tripura following over 4,000 students for 2 years. We randomly assign grades to receive either the Happiness Curriculum, daily mindfulness practice, or teaching-as-usual. Students’ math scores in SEL and mindfulness grades increase by 0.12 SD after 6 months and 0.29 SD after 2 years, equivalent to an additional year of learning. Math gains are driven by daily mindfulness practice and likely operate through improved reasoning and problem-solving. We observe little effect on measures of anxiety or depression. Our results reveal that programs targeting state of mind can be cost-effective ways to improve academic achievement.
Works in Progress
Blowin’ in the Wind: The Impact of Climate Disasters on College Majors and Innovation (with Chloe Tanaka)
Other Publications/Working Papers
The Effect of Education on Later Life Health Revisited (with Ted Figinski and Alicia Lloro)
FEDS Working Paper, retrievable here
How Does Social Distancing Affect the Spread of Covid-19 in the United States? (with Bhashkar Mazumder)
Chicago Fed Letter, No 442, 2020, retrievable here