Key Quote
“When I think of Dr. Brittany Lewis’ research I think of the power and relevance of the Kerner Commission Report. The Kerner Commission Report was written after mounting civil unrest in our nation’s urban centers resulted in rioting. The report asked why this was happening? Unlike any other government funded report before it, the Kerner Commission report gave those communities most impacted by segregation, unemployment, police violence, and racial discrimination a chance to inform its findings, which led to policy recommendations that were ignored by our federal government because it implicated them as a part of the problem and called for reparative solutions. Subsequent rioting and growing urban poverty then and now shows us that we need to invest in the types of engaged research that fueled the creation of the Kerner Commission Report. Dr. Brittany Lewis is our regions most exemplary example of what creating equity based action research products look like for systems change. I just hope that in our region we do not make the same mistake our federal government did then and not implement these innovative recommendations made by scholars like Dr. Lewis further exacerbating the problem.”
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison
Who We Are
Founded by Dr. Brittany Lewis in 2019, Research in Action is an urban research, strategy, and community engagement firm. Research in Action is committed to using human centered design to move from equity based language to equity based actions. Through thought leadership, speaking, community engaged research, and urban strategy Research in Action’s vision for systems change calls for more diverse stakeholders to understand how data, evaluation, and analysis can be used as a tool of action.
Thought Leadership & Speaking
- Present complex urban planning, design, and community economic development ideas, trends, and histories to mixed audiences for corporations, non-profits, government, and community
- Provide expert opinions on critical legal issues
- Write expert analysis on local, state, and federal policy or programmatic changes
Community Engaged Action Research
- Conduct generative and evaluative human center research analysis
- Gather, code, analyze qualitative data
- Discover best practices, analyze and collect existing literature and quantitative data
- Develop data collection instruments that include semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and surveys.
- Write, review, and edit actionable research products and policy brief
- Co-design and analyze program evaluation metrics
- Identify and design human centered community engagement approaches
Where Woke Research Meets Community Change
Dr. Lewis employs an actionable research and engagement model that values a mixed methodological research approach to: (1) building community power, (2) assisting local grassroots campaigns and local influencers in reframing the dominant narrative, and (3) producing community-centered policy and programmatic solutions that are winnable. This model relies heavily on the development of reciprocal relationships across sectors that embrace an open process where the collective develops shared understanding for the purpose of creating social transformation.
“Brittany’s work exemplifies the ways we should put grounded, ethical theory into action.”
A Tangible Racial Equity Framework
This actionable research model embraces a racial equity framework that asserts that we must: (1) look for solutions that address systemic inequities, (2) work collaboratively with affected communities, and (3) add solutions that are commensurate with the cause of inequity.
“Dr. Brittany Lewis manifest the best of what it means to be a scholar-practitioner. Her work on the politics of housing and race in the Twin Cities is not only extraordinary in its analysis, her approach is both sincere and authentic.”
Examples of Distinguished Partnerships
This actionable research model embraces a racial equity framework that asserts that we must: (1) look for solutions that address systemic inequities, (2) work collaboratively with affected communities, and (3) add solutions that are commensurate with the cause of inequity.
“Dr. Brittany Lewis manifest the best of what it means to be a scholar-practitioner. Her work on the politics of housing and race in the Twin Cities is not only extraordinary in its analysis, her approach is both sincere and authentic.”