NC State University has launched the Growing Research On Women of color (GROW) Project. This bold, new project is part of a five-year, White House-led initiative titled the Collaborative to Advance Equity through Research. GROW aims to develop a meaningful research agenda that addresses women and girls of color in order to focus on ensuring justice for them.

The GROW project at NC State is being led by Blair LM Kelley. Kelley is the assistant dean for interdisciplinary studies and international programs in NC State’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

As part of the project, over the weekend, Melissa Harris-Perry hosted “Know Her Truths: Advancing Justice for Women & Girls of Color\” at Wake Forest’s Anna Julia Cooper Center. Nearly 100 speakers and panelists, representing 60 organizations participated in the event.

“This initiative is a chance to evaluate what we know – and what we need to know – about a population that has long been overlooked by researchers of all disciplines,” says Kelley.

“I’m excited to explore the possibilities of collaboration across disciplines and institutions. We’re expecting to identify new research questions and ideas that have the potential to benefit women and girls for generations.”