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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 ...

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Stories

News Article: Transforming a community with sustained dialogue
When the Aurora Community Study Circles program started in 1996, there were 26 murders in Aurora and multiple complaints of human rights violations. Last year, there were none. The tremendous impact of the program was driven by its longevity and reach, creating a "snowball effect" in the community.

News Article: Dr. King's unfulfilled dream of school integration
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in the transformative power of school integration. He would be dismayed by America's present day paradox: the rapidly expanding racial diversity of our society accompanied by the increasing segregation of our urban schools.

News Article: Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr. and moving towards a vibrant democracy
Dr. King's message of racial equity, non-violence and dialogue are the cornerstones of creating a vibrant, sustainable democracy. Many of the issues Dr. King fought and gave his life for are issues Americans still face today. These issues affect us all, and we need to take action.

News Article: Community-driven solutions to divisive racial issues
Leaders in Lynchburg, Va., looked for a new way to help residents grapple with issues of racism and racial equity in their increasingly diverse city. More than 2,000 people have taken part in dialogues, action forums, and other efforts to make change in their community.

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 282 stories

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