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Racial Equity

Addressing racial equity through large-scale dialogue and collaborative action.

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We need to face racism head-on in order to have healthy communities and a strong country. Racism and gaps among racial and ethnic groups affect education, housing, health care, the justice system and job opportunities. If we're going to make progress in our communities and in our country, people from all backgrounds and views must work together to address racism and inequities.

Dialogue-to-change programs can help people from a variety of racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds examine the gaps among racial and ethnic groups where they live, explore approaches to creating greater equity, and create lasting change in their community.

Why addressing racism is important to building a strong democracy:

  • Racism is rooted in our history and embedded in our culture
  • Racism is one of the greatest barriers to solving all kinds of public problems
  • Because of this, we help communities pay special attention to how structural racism and other structural inequities affect the problems they want to address

Tools

Spanish-Language Discussion Guide: Cómo enfrentar el racismo en una nación diversa
2006
Una guía de discusión para una serie de seis sesiones diseñadas a ayudar a todo tipo de personas a participar ...

Discussion Guide: Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation
2008
A six-session discussion guide to help all kinds of people take part in meaningful dialogue to examine gaps among racial ...

Video: Taking food justice into their own hands
2011
New York City residents are taking action to address concerns about food and health disparities. Four action teams are connecting ...

Video: Turning a 'food desert' into a 'food oasis'
2011
According to a 2009 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 23.5 million people in the U.S. lack access to ...

Video: New Haven, Conn., residents make progress in creating a "culture of dialogue"
2010
Community Mediation, Inc., took the lead on a city-wide effort aimed to create a “culture of dialogue,” neighborhood by neighborhood ...

Video: Hopkinsville, Ky., residents make strides in improving police-community relations
2010
After receiving an action grant through the Communities Creating Racial Equity initiative, participants in the Hop-Town Our Town program decided ...

View all 28 tools

Stories

News Article: Planning for change
Making institutional change creates lasting effects, but it is no easy task. A participant in the Dialogue on Race initiative in Charlottesville, Va., reflects on progress and calls for a city-funded commission to help dismantle institutional racism.

News Article: "Study circles" a safe space to make progress on tough issues
More policy changes may be underway for the Fayetteville, N.C., police department as residents participate in "study circles" to address concerns about racial profiling. "People don't like to talk about race, and this is a safe place to do that and have some real progress on the issues."

News Article: Taking food justice into their own hands
New York City residents are taking action to address concerns about food and health disparities. Four action teams are connecting residents with elected officials and local businesses, educating the public about the Farm Bill, and developing incentives for people to make healthy food choices.

News Article: Turning a 'food desert' into a 'food oasis'
According to a 2009 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 23.5 million people in the U.S. lack access to a supermarket within a mile of their home. New Yorkers and faith leaders came together to address concerns about food and health disparities in New York City through a day of dialogue and prioritizing actions.

Success Story: Hopkinsville, Ky., residents address community-police relations
As part of the Communities Creating Racial Equity initiative, residents of Hopkinsville, Ky., came together to address racial tensions between townspeople and public safety officials.

Podcast: Involving young people in dialogues and action groups
Carling Sitterley, a participant in the Many Voices – One Community program in Lynchburg, Va., talks about experiences that piqued her interest in racial equity and her ideas for involving young people in dialogues and action groups.

View all 274 stories

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