Acknowledgements

The authors of the works in this volume of Perspectives on Black Markets overcame the unique challenges of the Covid-impacted semester. Their patience and dedication to engaging with the course, their classmates, and me deserves special praise. Thank you Makynsie, Carson, Madelyn, Grace, Ava, Anna, Clay, Brendan, Misha, Leah, Isha, Mia, and Jason!

In 2010 I began teaching Black Markets: Supply and Demand in Indiana University’s Liberal Arts and Management Program (LAMP). The Carnegie Foundation recognized program augments liberal arts degrees with an honors business certificate. As an instructor in this multi-disciplinary program, I have the privilege of engaging high-performing students in a topic that bridges disciplines and provokes lively discussion and strong opinion. It has been clear to me that my students’ viewpoints deserve wider attention; their thinking and concerns are the dawn of our world’s future.

Each volume in this series, highlights student-author perspectives gleaned from a semester’s discussions, research, and writings.

At the outset of the 2020 fall semester, I challenged each of my students to write a publishable piece of writing, publishable following and according to a rigorous peer review by the class and me. The students had wide latitude as far as genre, but all works had to be well-researched, go through a desk review by me, a full peer review of the class, and final revisions and editing. Each author then decided whether to actually publish in this volume. They all uploaded their work for you, each contributing a chapter. The authors also identified overarching themes and co-authored the introduction.

Please enjoy the wide-ranging perspectives presented in this volume.

—Michael Morrone