Think about the question below. We will talk about it in more depth later, but, to start, do a quick-write, you are welcome to keep it private or share as you are comfortable with your group.
Everyone has a racial identity. Sometimes white racial identity is seen as the “default” and people mistakenly think only minorities (African-American, Latino/Hispanic, Native American, Asian) have a race. It is important to emphasize that all people have experiences with race, whether they are overt, hidden, unconscious or implied. People might experience those encounters directly, witness them happening to others, or have opportunities, or privileges, as a result of their racial identity.
Race is complicated. It is a social construct, and yet many still think of it as biological. Racial categories have evolved over time, and yet many think of race as static. Race is often “on the table,” and yet rarely discussed with shared understanding. More frequently, it is the elephant in the room. Race, income, and wealth are closely connected in the United States. However, racial inequities are not just about income. When we hold income constant, there are still large inequities based on race across multiple indicators for success, including education, jobs, incarceration, and housing. For us to advance racial equity, it is vital that we are able to talk about race. We have to both normalize conversations about race, and operationalize strategies for advancing racial equity. In addition, we must also address income and wealth inequality, and recognize the biases that exist based on gender, sexual orientation, ability and age, to name but a few. Focusing on race provides an opportunity to also address other ways in which groups of people are marginalized, providing the opportunity to introduce a framework, tools, and resources that can also be applied to other areas of marginalization. This is important, because to have maximum impact, focus and specificity are necessary. Strategies to achieve racial equity differ from those to achieve equity in other areas. “One-size-fits all” strategies are rarely successful.
Too often, our movement has focused on symptoms and not causes when attempting to work on racial equity. We will fund programs and services, that act as simple bandages rather than addressing the underlying drivers of inequities. While programs and services are often necessary, they will never be sufficient for achieving racial equity. We must focus on policy and institutional strategies that are driving the production of inequities