Be the Change.
For Immediate Release
Contact: criticalraceframework@gmail.com
April 23, 2025
Dr. Christopher Williams, Principal Investigator for the Critical Race Framework, Leverages AI for Quantitative Methods in Applied Critical Race Framework Study
Dr. Williams leveraged Grok3 and ChatGPT to define error in Risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and cognitive function before middle age in a U.S. representative population-based study by Aiello et al. (2025) due to use of attenuated racial conceptualization and analysis. The Critical Race Framework Quantitative Critical Appraisal Aid (CRF QCAA) was used. Both models found significant issues with study findings as published. The analysis is limited by unavailable data in the study that could enhance error estimation and not conducting analysis using the original dataset. Yet, this analysis further supports growing concerns about the role that undefined racial variable plays in research quality.
Grok concluded, "The QCAA implementation reveals significant uncertainty in the race/ethnicity covariate’s effect (β = -0.239, OR = 0.788) due to reliability (25%), validity (35%), and confounding (25%) errors, totaling 85%. The adjusted β (-0.4019, OR = 0.669) and wider CI (-1.1348, 0.3310; OR: 0.321, 1.392) highlight limitations in using race as an undefined covariate, aligning with the CR Framework. The regional sample (CV = ±10–20%) limits generalizability. Researchers should clarify race’s role and adjust for additional confounders (e.g., distrust, SES)."
Based on more accurate inputs, ChatGPT concluded, "Applying the Quantitative Critical Appraisal Aid (QCAA) to Gwadz et al. (2025) reveals substantial uncertainty in the race/ethnicity covariate’s estimated effect on COVID-19 testing uptake among African American/Black vs. Latine/Hispanic frontline workers. While the original logistic regression coefficient suggested a moderate association (β = -0.239, OR = 0.788), the QCAA-adjusted analysis—grounded in the Critical Race Framework—demonstrates that this estimate is significantly undermined by methodological vulnerabilities."
For Immediate Release
Contact: criticalraceframework@gmail.com
April 23, 2025
Racial Health Disparities Nearly Erased When Socioeconomic Factors Are Considered, Study Finds
By Grok
A groundbreaking reanalysis of a 1997 health study reveals that racial differences in physical and mental well-being between Black and White adults in Detroit may largely vanish when socioeconomic factors, discrimination, and stress are taken into account. The findings suggest that tackling economic inequality and reducing stress could be key to closing persistent health gaps across the United States.
The original research, led by David R. Williams and his team, surveyed 1,139 adults in the Detroit area, asking them to report their overall health and the number of days they spent bedridden due to illness. At first glance, the data showed a stark divide: Black participants reported worse health outcomes compared to their White counterparts. But the new analysis, using an approach called the Critical Race (CR) Framework, digs deeper.
After adjusting for variables like education, income, experiences of discrimination, and various sources of stress, researchers found that the health disparity between Black and White participants shrank dramatically. In statistical terms, the "race coefficient"—a measure of how much race alone predicts health differences—dropped to a level where it was no longer significant. In other words, race itself didn’t explain the gap; the conditions tied to race did.
For Immediate Release
Contact: criticalraceframework@gmail.com
April 22, 2025
ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, and Perplexity Assess 80% of the Principles of Public Health Realism to Have "Strong" or "Very Strong" Validity.
By Christopher Williams, PhD
Public Health Realism (PHR), a theory of Public Health Liberation theory, lacked strong empirical evidence when it was published in 2022. This research brief utilizes artificial intelligence models (Grok, Perplexity, Gemini, and ChatGPT) to assess validity of PHR theory. These models assessed thirteen (13) or 81% of the 16 Principles of Public Health Realism as "strong" or "very strong" in validity, relying on theoretical grounding. AI models interpreted these principles to be "supported by substantial, consistent, and high-quality evidence, aligning well with established theories." No model gave a low rating. However, two principles received the only moderate scores by 2 raters, suggesting the need to revise the language for improved validity. ICC computations varied from moderate to substantial agreement in different computations based on changes to the scale and the number of raters. Grok3 provided suggestions for revising three principles based on AI scores (#2, #5, #13). The Public Health Liberation Board is expected to consider these recommendations.
These study findings provide much needed validity evidence on Public Health Realism theory. It is not known how AI reasoning may differ from human raters. Further research is needed on the utilization for AI in establishing validity in new public health theory-building. In addition, human raters and related funding are needed to validate study findings.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2025
Cosmos Club Hosts Virtual Lecture on the Pearl Escape of 1848
Washington, DC – The Cosmos Club, in collaboration with its Civil War and On the Move Groups, hosted a compelling virtual lecture today at 12:00 pm EDT, presented by Dr. Christopher Williams. The event explored the historic Pearl Escape of April 15, 1848, the largest attempted non-violent escape of enslaved African Americans in U.S. history.
Dr. Williams, a PhD graduate from the University of Maryland and a noted scholar, guided attendees through a virtual tour of Washington, DC, highlighting historic sites, churches, and buildings tied to the Pearl story. His presentation detailed the personal circumstances and fates of the 77 enslaved individuals who boarded the Pearl schooner at the Seventh Street Wharf in Southwest DC, aiming for freedom in Frenchtown, Maryland. Despite their capture, the event galvanized the abolitionist movement, influencing figures like Harriet Beecher Stowe and Frederick Douglass.
Williams shared poignant stories of key figures, including Paul Jennings, a formerly enslaved man who helped plan the escape, and the Bell and Edmonson families, whose struggles underscored the brutal realities of slavery. He emphasized the Underground Railroad’s sea routes and the moral complexities of the era, noting, “The Pearl story has many layers… it’s history that should be taught in schools and celebrated alongside DC Emancipation Day and Juneteenth.”
The lecture also connected the Pearl Escape to Washington’s landscape, from Notley Young’s plantation to the Yellow House slave pen, providing a vivid context for the city’s role in the slave trade. Williams encouraged attendees to explore Mary Kay Ricks’ book, Escape on the Pearl, and Daniel Drayton’s memoir, available through the Library of Congress.
The event received high praise, with Rod Ross of the Cosmos Club calling it “one of the very best programs the Civil War Group has had in recent years.” Lindsay Dupertuis, PhD, Art and Archival Collections Manager, noted, “I learned a lot!” Williams announced plans to develop a museum-quality website to further bring the Pearl story to life, supported by a forthcoming grant application.
About the Cosmos Club:
Founded in 1878, the Cosmos Club is a private social club in Washington, DC, dedicated to advancing intellectual and cultural pursuits. Its historic presence in LaFayette Square and ongoing programs reflect its commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue and scholarship.