Marc Bayard

Associate Fellow and Director of the Black Worker Initiative, Institute for Policy Studies Fellow

Marc Bayard is an associate fellow and the director of the Institute for Policy Studies’ Black Worker Initiative. He was the founding executive director of the Worker Institute at Cornell University. He is a leading expert on racial equity and organizing strategies with extensive experience in building partnerships between labor, faith groups, and civil rights communities. A frequent speaker and social commentator for a number of institutions and organizations, Mr. Bayard’s dedication to achieving just and humane treatment for workers worldwide is grounded in his first-hand work and experiences in nearly 50 countries. From 2003 to 2011 he was the Africa Regional Program Director for the Solidarity Center, AFL-CIO. Bayard is also an advisor and Adjunct professor to Morehouse College’s International Comparative Labor Studies program. He has published articles in a wide range of media outlets, including The Detroit News, Ebony, and The Nation and has provided expert opinion on issues related to energy and workers’ rights in such outlets American Prospect, Atlanta Black Star, The Guardian, NBC News, The Root, and Vice. His recently published studies include:
  • Black Immigrant Domestic Workers in the Time of COVID-19
  • Pay, Professionalism, and Respect
  • I Dream Detroit: The Voice and Vision of Women of Color on Detroit’s Future
Bayard holds master’s degrees from Cornell University and Georgetown University and is a highly regarded scholar of labor politics.