LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Advancing Racial Equity in LA County Julie Nelson May 20, 2015

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY A national network of government working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all. Government Alliance on Race and Equity

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Realize our values 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

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY 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 polices, practices and procedures that advance racial equity Current opportunity - government for racial equity

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Current Context of Race:

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Three Key Facts on Race: 1) Race is a construct and is not biologically determined. Race is a modern idea. 2) Policy drives the social construction of race and has contributed to changing ideas and definitions of race over time. 3) We did not choose this system but we have a responsibility to address it

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Racial Inequity in the U.S.:

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Defining “Racial Equity”:

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Racial equity is when 1) race no longer is a determinant of life outcomes and 2) in addressing racial inequity directly, we improve outcomes for everyone, including White people Racial equity is both our lens and the outcome we seek to achieve. It is an inclusive approach to transform structures towards access, justice, self-determination, redistribution, and sharing of power and resources. Defining “Racial Equity”:

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Income/Education Equality, But No Racial Equity:

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Explicit bias Expressed directly Aware of bias / operates consciously Example – Sign in the window of an apartment building – “we don’t rent to _____” Implicit bias Expressed indirectly Unaware of bias / operates sub-consciously Example – a property manager doing more criminal background checks on African Americans than whites.

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY What to do with bias? Attempting to suppress or deny bias can actually exacerbate, rather than eradicate it. If we directly challenge biases, individually and institutionally, we can make more progress.

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY 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 focus 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.

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Structural Institution Individual Individual racism: Pre-judgment, bias, or discrimination by an individual based on race. 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. This combines to create a system that negatively impacts communities of color. Different Kinds of Racism:

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Structures are a part of our lives:

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY “Structural Racism” points to multiple institutions The ways our public and private institutions interact to produce barriers to opportunity and racial disparities. Intent to discriminate is irrelevant Structures just do what they do, often invisibly, and reinforce disinvestment and disparities. What We Mean by Structural Racial Inequity:

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Policies Matter:

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY What Can We Do About It?

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Advancing racial equity Effective, inclusive democracy

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY For government to advance racial equity, we must: Use a shared analysis Build capacity Implement tools Partner with others Use data and metrics Operate with urgency

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Contact information Julie Nelson, Director Government Alliance on Race and Equity (206)

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY EXTRA SLIDES

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Issue-based Help individuals negotiate existing structures. Solutions “transact” with institutions Short-term gains for communities, but leave the existing structure in place Transactional approaches Cut across multiple institutions Focus on policy and organizational culture Alter the ways institutions operate Shifting cultural values and political will to create racial equity Transformative approaches

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Transactional approaches Invite WMBE contractors to apply for contracts. Translate documents for limited English speaking public. Pass “ban the box” legislation Transformational approaches Change multiple policies (bonding, debundling, etc) Establish Public Outreach and Engagement Liaisons Develop a criminal justice agenda

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Harvard Business Review – A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making Advancing racial equity and transforming government

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE & EQUITY Advancing racial equity means: Necessary to work on transactional efforts within a context of transformation Navigating environments that are simple, complicated, complex and chaotic