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Home My WebLink AboutThe Role of Government_Iowa_FINALIowa City April 7, 2017 Julie Nelson Gordon Goodwin Jesse Villalobos Advancing Racial Equity The Role of Government Our Sponsors Lead Sponsors •City of Iowa City •City of Dubuque •Government Alliance on Race and Equity Co-Sponsors •Center for Social Inclusion •City of Coralville •City of North Liberty •Dubuque Community Foundation •Inclusive Dubuque •Johnson County •University of Iowa Center for Human Rights •University of Iowa Chief Diversity Office A national network of government working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all. ü A membership network of jurisdictions in leadership ü Expanding jurisdictions –in 30 states and more than 100 cities – all levels of government ü Providing tools and resources to put theory into action Government Alliance on Race and Equity Center for Social Inclusion Center for Social Inclusion’s mission is to catalyze communities, government, and other institutions to dismantle structural racial inequity and create equitable outcomes for all Capacity Building Policy and Research Institutional Change Strategic Communications A national network of government working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all. ü A membership network of jurisdictions in leadership ü Expanding jurisdictions –in 30 states and more than 100 cities – all levels of government ü Providing tools and resources to put theory into action Government Alliance on Race and Equity Center for Social Inclusion Center for Social Inclusion’s mission is to catalyze communities, government, and other institutions to dismantle structural racial inequity and create equitable outcomes for all Capacity Building Policy and Research Institutional Change Strategic Communications Oregon California Virginia Fairfax County PortlandMultnomah CountyMetro Alameda County = Active GARE Members = Current GARE Engagements MassachusettsBoston Washington SeattleTacoma Minnesota Iowa Dubuque Iowa City Wisconsin Dane County Madison Metropolitan CouncilMinneapolisMinneapolis Park BoardSaint Paul = Racial Equity Here Members New Mexico Albuquerque Texas Austin Kentucky Louisville Pennsylvania Philadelphia Michigan Ottawa County Washtenaw County MI Dept of Civil Rights Grand Rapids Government Alliance on Race and Equity Table introductions •Name •Jurisdiction •Profession •Why you chose to participate in today's discussion 5 Role of Government Values and realities •All men are created equal •With liberty and justice for all •Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth History of government and race Government explicitly creates and maintains racial inequity. Initially explicit Discrimination illegal, but “race-neutral” policies and practices perpetuate inequity. Became implicit Proactive policies, practices and procedures that advance racial equity. Government for racial equity Advancing Racial Equity A national practice National best practice Normalize •A shared analysis and definitions •Urgency / prioritize Organize •Internal infrastructure •Partnerships Operationalize •Racial equity tools •Data to develop strategies and drive results Visualize Normalize Equity? Equality? What’s the difference? Racial inequity in the U.S. From infant mortality to life expectancy, race predicts how well you will do… Racial equity means: •“Closing the gaps”so that race does not predict one’s success, while also improving outcomes for all •To do so, have to: ü Target strategies to focus improvements for those worse off ü Move beyond “services”and focus on changing policies, institutions and structures Bias The evaluation of one group and its members relative to another. Source: Unconscious (Implicit) Bias and Health Disparities: Where Do We Go from Here? We all carry bias. Acting on bias can be discriminatory and create negative outcomes for particular groups. Explicit bias Expressed directly Aware of bias / operates consciously Example –Sign in the window of an apartment building –“whites only” Implicit bias Expressed indirectly Unaware of bias / operates sub-consciously Example –a property manager doing more criminal background checks on African Americans than whites. What to do with bias? •Suppressing or denying biased thoughts can actually increase prejudice rather than eradicate it. •Openly acknowledging and challenging biases allows us to develop strategic interventions. Institutional Explicit Institutional Implicit Individual Explicit Individual Implicit Institutional / Explicit Policies which explicitly discriminate against a group. Example: Police department refusing to hire people of color. Institutional / Implicit Policies that negatively impact one group unintentionally. Example: Police department focusing on street- level drug arrests. Individual / Explicit Prejudice in action – discrimination. Example: Police officer calling someone an ethnic slur while arresting them. Individual / Implicit Unconscious attitudes and beliefs. Example: Police officer calling for back-up more often when stopping a person of color. Institutional/Explicit Policies which explicitly discriminate against a group. Institutional/Implicit Policies that negatively impact one group unintentionally. Individual/Explicit Prejudice in action – discrimination. Individual/Implicit Unconscious attitudes and beliefs. Examples from your jurisdiction – Individual racism: •Pre-judgment, bias, or discrimination by an individual based on race. structural institutional individual Institutional racism: •Policies, practices and procedures that work better for white people than for people of color, often unintentionally or inadvertently. Structural racism: •A history and current reality of institutional racism across all institutions, combining to create a system that negatively impacts communities of color. Scenario, part 1 Organizing 24 Housing Transit Police Parks Courts Core Team –leadership development and capacity building across departments Interdepartmental teams –Contracting equity, workforce equity, community engagement Racial Equity Leadership Team Accountability tools Accountability agreements Departmental work plans Racial Equity Tools Institution-wide work plans individual informal group formal group nonprofit union government Tend toward –Tend toward – Informal Formal Local interest Broad Interests Voluntary Professional Issue/identity focused Geographic focus Collective decision making Hierarchical Inside / Outside Strategies Modes of community participation Operationalizing Process Product What is a Racial Equity Tool? Actively inserts racial equity into decision making processes 1 •Desired results 2 •Analysis of data 3 •Community engagement 4 •Strategies for racial equity 5 •Implementation plan 6 •Communications and accountability What is a Racial Equity Tool process? Who should use a Racial Equity Tool? Elected officials Government staff Community Scenario, part 2 Communicating Effectively on Race Communicating about race It’s more than just talk –ACT Affirm •Start with the heart •Explain why we are all in this together Counter •Explain why we have the problem •Take on race directly Transform •Reframe winners and losers •End with heart and a solution Communicating about race: It’s more than just talk –ACT Affirm •Start with the heart •Explain why we are all in this together The health of our children, families, and loved ones depends on the environments in which we live People of all races want to live in clean environments with decent housing, good jobs, and high- quality schools. Communicating about race: It’s more than just talk –ACT Counter •Explain why we have the problem •Take on race directly For decades, low-income communities of color have been the dumping grounds for environmental hazards. Having access to neighborhoods that support success shouldn't be determined by your race. Communicating about race: It’s more than just talk –ACT Transform •Reframe winners and losers •End with heart and a solution Those that contaminate our environment need to be held accountable. For our collective good, we need to value the quality of all of our neighborhoods above the profits for a few. Join me in supporting legislation that will bring accountability. Those that pollute need to pay their fair share so that all of us can have healthy environments in our communities. One more example: Affirm •All our children deserve high quality, public education. Counter •Currently, only about 60% of African-American, Latino and Native American students graduate from high school on time. •Harsh, punitive discipline based on subjective infractions drive that outcome. Transform •We need to remove the subjectivity from the policy and implement after-school programs that use a restorative justice approach to disciplinary challenges. •These changes will benefit all of our children. Scenario, part 3 Communicating about race It’s more than just talk –ACT Affirm •Start with the heart •Explain why we are all in this together Counter •Explain why we have the problem •Take on race directly Transform •Reframe winners and losers •End with heart and a solution Changing minds •Most importantly, the best way to change attitudes is to change behavior. •Attitudinal change tends to follow behavior change. •Requires both short and long-term approaches. Roundtables Next steps Contact information Julie Nelson (206) 816-5104 Julie.nelson62@gmail.com Jesse Villalobos 212-248-2785 x 3287 jvillalobos@thecsi.org Gordon Goodwin (763) 258-3328 ggoodwin@thecsi.org www.racialequityalliance.org