Drum Major Institute
for Public Policy
“The Drum Major Institute’s Scholars Program gave me the tools to translate my passion for social and economic justice into a career in the policy arena. Only a few weeks removed from the Summer Institute, I have already begun to apply some of these skills at my internship on Capitol Hill. Perhaps the most important thing I gained from DMI was a network of policy professionals, activists, and students all committed to progressive change.”
—Joseph Hill, 2009 Scholar
Our Mission
The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy (DMI) is an urban think tank founded during the civil rights movement by associates of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and named after King’s frequent invocations of the “drum major instinct,” which King defined as the desire “to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade”—not for self-aggrandizement or material gain, but for selfless leadership. Our mission is to advance progressive policies in cities and for cities on a range of issues, including economic development, mass transit, workplace protections, immigration reform, and defending the role of government and the public infrastructure that creates opportunities for widely shared prosperity.
What does a think tank do?
We provide research, models and policies to those on the frontlines advocating for an agenda of social and economic justice.
But DMI is a different kind of think tank from those that just operate in the Ivory Tower. We view ourselves as a part of the progressive movement. We don’t issue reports to see our name in print or hold forums for the sake of mere talk. We seek to change policy by conducting research into overlooked, but important, issues and by engaging policymakers and opinion leaders in our work. We are shaping the ongoing discourse about the issues that impact us.
For example, in 2009 we released a report on the economic imperative to count undocumented immigrants in the Census, complete with talking points for discussing the Census in immigrant communities. Our last Marketplace of Ideas event brought Chicago Mayor Richard Daley to New York to discuss green roofs with New York activists and elected officials. Our 2008 Year in Review included a look at the Bush legacy, highlighting such injustices as the increase of Americans living in poverty and the number of foreclosures.
Founded as the Drum Major Foundation by associates of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we have a rich legacy in the civil rights movement. Our name comes from Dr. King’s last sermon at Ebenezer Baptist church when he declared he wanted to be remembered as a “drum major for justice, as a drum major for peace, as a drum major for righteousness.” We were revamped as the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy in 2002, realizing that progressives in the trenches needed an institution that could match a civil rights consciousness with a present-day approach to shifting the debate.
Why is a think tank creating a program for college students?
Good question. DMI is led by young people who believe that young progressives need access to the individuals and organizations making the policies that govern our lives and that public policy needs dynamic young progressives from diverse communities to really create change.
So join us.
Apply to become a DMI Scholar today.
Check out DMI’s Work on Issues You Care About!
• Our report on NYC Impact Schools
• Our Fact Sheet on What's at Stake for Young People in the Social Security Debate
• Our case for Progressive
Immigration Policy
• Take part in live discussions on the DMI Blog and on Huffington Post about issues like the stimulus and sustainable cities.
|
|
|
|
|
