Racial Equity Tools
When organizations working for positive change don’t examine racial equity as part of their work, they may contribute to the invisibility of people of color. Here are four tools that are being utilized by various institutions and organizations.
Communities of color in our region may be numerically small compared to other parts of this country, but the disparate impact of public policies such as healthcare, education, and housing on these communities is huge. When organizations working for positive change don’t examine racial equity as part of their work, they may contribute to the invisibility of people of color in our region that is already perceived as white. Bringing racial justice to the forefront is critical in building a progressive movement.
Why Race Matters
Over the past five years, new tools for advancing racial justice have been emerging across our region and the country. These incredibly useful resources help organizations to:
• develop an understanding of racial disparities in the issues they work on
• learn how other organizations have succeeded in framing race-explicit solutions
• share information with their members and communities.
Here are four tools that are being utilized by various institutions and organizations.
Racial Equity Report Cards
In 2009, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, with support from Western States Center, published Facing Race: 2009 Legislative Report Card on Racial Equality for Nevada. The Report Card examines laws introduced during Nevada’s 75th legislative session that would have directly impacted communities of color such as education and health access, racial profiling and discrimination, and the ability of American Indian tribes to exercise their rightful sovereignty. The report card illustrates how 18 bills would have benefited communities of color while also improving the lives of all Nevadans. The governor and every legislator also received grades on their support of racial equity legislation. The tool provided organizers concrete ways to hold their elected officials accountable.
Racial Equity Report Cards were also published for the state of Washington and Idaho in 2009 and 2010.
To date, similar report cards have been produced in eight states. Applied Research Center’s Racing the Statehouse is a report that features racial equity legislation from these states.
Race and Social Justice Initiative
In 2005, then Mayor of Seattle Greg Nickels implemented the Racial and Social Justice Initiative to address institutional racism within city government. This work has evolved into a multi-strategy initiative that addresses city contracting, translation and interpretation policy, a race and social justice budget filter for each city department, and new outreach and public engagement processes. The City of Seattle is a national model in addressing race-based disparities.
Racial Equity Impact Assessments (REIA)
REIAs are an important tool for policy makers to explore the disparate impacts of potential legislation on communities of color. REIAs are used to minimize unanticipated adverse consequences. Institutions have utilized REIAs to examine proposed policies, evaluate institutional practices, create programs and make budgetary decisions.
Click here to download an REIA developed by the Applied Research Center.
Dismantling Racism: A Resource Book for Social Justice Groups
Western States Center compiled this resource book for jumpstarting conversations about race in your organization.
Click here to download this resource book.
