Does the identity of leaders matter for education? Evidence from the first black governor in the US

Mery Ferrando and Véronique Gille

Labour Economics, 2025, vol. 96, issue C

Abstract: Can role models from the same group enhance educational outcomes of disadvantaged minority students? We analyze the election of Douglas Wilder in Virginia in 1989, who was the first Black American to serve as governor in the US. Results from a triple difference and an event-study approach demonstrate increased educational attainment among Black individuals in Virginia after the election. Using an original survey and secondary data, we provide suggestive evidence that a role model effect may be driving these results. Our findings thus suggest that increasing exposure to Black politicians in high-profile positions might contribute to narrowing the White-Black gap in education in the US.

Keywords: Education; Minority; Political leaders; Role model; Identity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D01 I24 O51 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:labeco:v:96:y:2025:i:c:s0927537125000739

DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102749

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