Melissa Hellmann, racial, gender, and economic inequality reporter for the Center for Public Integrity, is the 2023 keynote speaker for the Hoops Taxation Research and Policy Institute’s spring forum. She will present “The Cost of Disparity: How State Tax Policies Fuel the Racial Wealth Gap” at 5:15 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27, in Spark G45. She will discuss what she’s learned while reporting on economic inequality for the Center for Public Integrity, the discriminatory history behind tax codes, how Washington’s system exacerbates inequality, and possible solutions.
Hellmann’s stories expose practices that disproportionately impact marginalized communities. She has reported from the homes of migrant families in the outskirts of Beijing, China; Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank; and a Tacoma, Washington, detention center where detainees alleged their medical needs were ignored. Along with being featured in local and national radio and TV programs, her work has been cited in books, academic studies, and city reports.
For more information, contact Jeff Gramlich, WSU Howard D. and B. Phyllis Hoops endowed chair, jeff.gramlich@wsu.edu.
