The Moynihan Report at 60: Impact and Reflection

Description: 

During the Civil Rights Movement, Assistant Secretary of Labor Daniel Patrick Moynihan authored The Negro Family: The Case for National Action. His 1965 report drew national attention to racial inequality and poverty, while controversially characterizing challenges in Black communities as rooted in family instability. Sixty years later, the UB School of Social Work invites you to reflect on the report’s legacy.

Keith A. Alford, PhD, dean of the School of Social Work, will moderate a panel exploring the report’s historical context, its influence on social welfare, education, urbanization, stereotypes, and health inequities, and its lasting impact on social work with Black families. Attendees will gain tools to apply culturally responsive, anti-racist frameworks.

Learning Objectives:

1. Analyze the historical context, major arguments, and controversies of the Moynihan Report.

2. Evaluate the Moynihan Report’s influence on U.S. social policy and public perceptions of Black families.

3. Identify the ways in which narratives from the Moynihan Report continue to shape structural inequities and inform contemporary challenges in social welfare, education, urbanization, identity perceptions, health inequities, and policy.

Target Audience: social workers, mental health practitioners, marriage and facility therapists, psychologists, case managers, and other interested individuals.

Customer Service: We are happy to respond to any concerns or questions you may have. Please contact us at by email at sw-ce@buffalo.edu or by phone at 716-829-5841.

ADA Accommodations: If you require any support for your ADA needs in the United States, please contact us by email at least 3 weeks prior to the event by email at sw-ce@buffalo.edu or by phone at 716-829-5841.

NYSED CEs are provided by the UB School of Social Work Office of Continuing Education. 1.5 live contact hours are approved for LMSW/LCSW, LMHC, LMFT, LCAT, and PSY. Full attendance is required; no partial credit will be awarded for partial attendance.

For additional training and CE information, click on the training titles on this page.