RACIAL EQUITY AND ECONOMIC SECURITY Response to STRUCTURAL RACISM   Lois J. Carson   Don Mathis

RACIAL EQUITY AND ECONOMIC SECURITY Participating Agencies funded by the Ford Foundation Participating Agencies Wisconsin Social Development Commission Milwaukee, WI Georgia New York Action for a Better Community Rochester, NY Fulton Atlanta Community Action Authority Atlanta, GA Mississippi Bolivar County Community Action Program Cleveland, MS New Mexico Community Action New Mexico Albuquerque, NM (statewide project) Florida Northeast Florida Community Action Agency Jacksonville, FL Kentucky Community Action Council for Lexington-Fayette, Bourbon, Harrison and Nicholas Counties Lexington, KY California Community Action Partnership of Riverside County Riverside, CA

STRUCTURAL RACISM

Disparate Outcomes Poverty Poverty Level for family of 4: $18,100 (US Dept of HHS, 2002)

Educational Attainment Disparate outcomes Educational Attainment Source: The Education Trust, 2002

Disparate Outcomes Justice System Adult Population and Proportion Incarcerated in State and Federal Prisons, 2002 Sources: Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin. “Prisoners in 2002” U.S. Department of Justice, July 2003; U.S. Census Bureau.

We are still struggling over the meanings of race and equality Why are “race” and “racism” such difficult issues to grasp and deal with? We are still struggling over the meanings of race and equality We often fail to acknowledge the ways that RACE has been a fundamental axis of social organization in the US We often prefer to address symptoms rather than the roots of social problems We are often reluctant to acknowledge the legacies of race They resonate with our deeply held beliefs about “success” and “failure” We are generally more comfortable discussing issues of Class and Gender

What is race and how do we understand it? Social construct No biological or scientific basis behind it Best understood in social and political terms Meaning it was invented and given meaning by humans. 2) it is a yardstick for allocating power, and for distributing society’s material benefits and burdens. 3) As noted in the Archives of pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (feb 2001): “One of the great contributions of the human genome project is to point out the incredible biological similarity of us all: there is a greater range of genetic differences within such groups as white or black than between groups. There is no biologic or scientific basis for the term race much less the categories commonly used to describe it. After this, refer the group to the quote in the book re: race is a social construct and show the clip from race the power of an illusion

Leaders who work on racial equity need… A language to talk about race A framework for understanding how race and ethnicity operate in modern America (post-civil rights legislation) New ideas and strategies for reducing racial inequities in key opportunity domains and promoting racial equity We need to be as comfortable talking about race as we are about class and gender. And we need to examine the factors that contribute to disparities, the factors that are likely to lead to positive change, and the factors that work to resist such change. The Roundtable started our work on Structural Racism and Racial Equity in 1998 in response to people in the community building field telling us that even though they worked in largely communities of color, they needed help talking about race. ---angela blackwell/john gardner (common cause); thernstroms and Randall Robinson…

New Language We need to identify and talk about: The ongoing advantages associated with being" white” – sometimes referred to as a white privilege and The ongoing disadvantages associated with being a person of “color”—which we refer to as structural racism

How is Structural Racism Different? Common explanations of entrenched racial and/or ethnic disparity Individual Institutional Structural

Racism at the individual or inter-group level: Personal prejudice Racial slurs, the n-word Inter-group tensions Diversity and multi-culturalism Cultural competence …these are important, and these personal attitudes and beliefs color decision-making and actions

institutional and structural levels The bigger problem … Racism at the institutional and structural levels

Institutional Racism Education Employment Health Housing Criminal Justice Environment

Institutional Racism For example: Discriminatory practices (whether intentional or not) Racial profiling Redlining or “steering” Occupational segregation

Institutional Racism: A Systems Perspective Education Employment Health Housing Criminal Justice Environment

What is Structural Racism? It describes the complex ways that history, public policies, institutional practices and cultural representations (e.g., stereotypes, norms) interact to maintain racial hierarchy and inequitable racial group outcomes; thereby allowing privileges associated with “whiteness” and disadvantages associated with “color” to endure and adapt.

Structural Racism Values History Beliefs Attitudes Education Employment Health Beliefs Attitudes Housing Criminal Justice Environment

Internalized White Privilege “…an invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was meant to remain oblivious….” Peggy Macintosh, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.”

Contents of the Knapsack: I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to live, and I can be pretty sure that my neighbors will be neutral or pleasant to me. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented. If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven't been singled out because of my race.

Contents of the Knapsack: I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group. I can worry about racism without being seen as self-interested or self-seeking. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having my co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of my race. If my day, week or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it had racial overtones. I will feel welcomed and "normal" in the usual walks of public life, institutional and social. If I have low credibility as a leader I can be sure that my race is not the problem.

What does the Structural Racism Framework mean for people who want to reduce inequalities? It means four types of changes in the way we work: Internal change Policy change Practice change Cultural/representational change

What does the Structural Racism Framework mean for people who want to reduce inequalities? “Internal” change, accepting and establishing racial equity as a central tenet and operating principle in our work to improve outcomes for youth and in our internal work environment…for example Focus not just on improving outcomes for all but also on reducing racial gaps Focus not just on diversity in the workplace, but also on racial equity in opportunities for advancement and leadership In your in your work and in your organization. We believe it is important to align your internal work policies and practices with your external work so that the theme of racial equity is consistent. On Wednesday we’ll have an opportunity to talk about racial equity and inclusion within our work environment.

What does the Structural Racism Framework mean for people who want to reduce inequalities? “Policy” change, working on the fundamental rules of the game within your organization and your field, and not shrinking from challenging traditional power bases and networks For example: focus on the fundamental distribution of resources in terms of money, infrastructure, opportunities within your organization and outside your organization by examining its programs and alliances

What does the Structural Racism Framework mean for people who want to reduce inequalities? “Practice” change, focusing carefully on all of the ways in which standard practices reproduce – or fail to counteract – racially disparate outcomes For example by critically examining informal practices within your organization and their impact on racial and ethnic minorities (e.g., mentoring, access to positions which lead to leadership opportunities, visibility etc.)

What does the Structural Racism Framework mean for people who want to reduce inequalities? “Cultural” or “representational” change, reframing and changing stereotypical messages, images and interpretations of information about people of color For example, by challenging the assumptions that employees, board members, policymakers, and the citizens of our communities, and other key actors bring to discussions about people of color because these assumptions “frame” how problems are perceived and how solutions are developed Citizens broadly defined—civic community, media, employers, teachers…

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Riverside County REES Project

SUB-COMMITTEES Technical Advisory to eliminate Racial Disparity in the provision and access to Quality Child Care Policy Advisory to establish the rules of engagement for the “Big View” Meetings and Community Dialogues

BIG VIEW MEETINGS Human Rights Commission Human Relations Council Human Relations Commission City of Palm Springs of City of Riverside Hemet- San Jacinto-Menifee May 15 TBA TBA To be followed with dialogues at Colleges/Universities, In Churches and other Venues

Code of Conduct LET US TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT LET US KEEP AN OPEN MIND LET US SEARCH FOR CONSENSUS LET US NOT INTERRUPT OTHERS LET US STRIVE FOR HONESTY LET US REFRAIN FROM PERSONAL ATTACKS LET US SHARE PERSONAL STORIES FOR ENLIGHTENMENT LET US SEARCH FOR NEW WAYS TO DISCUSS RACE INTELLECTUALLY LET US RECRUIT GROUPS TO HOST A BIG VIEW MEETING

Racial Equity and Economic Security Question for Round Table Discussion STRUCTURAL RACISM Racial Equity and Economic Security Describe Structural Racism in their own words and would help to make them more confident about sharing their knowledge.