Presented by: Summer Gainey, PhD, LCSW and Veronica Hardy, PhD, LCSW Facilitating Racial Equity from a Social Work Perspective: Addressing Ethical Obligations Presented by: Summer Gainey, PhD, LCSW and Veronica Hardy, PhD, LCSW

What is the purpose of today? This presentation will provide an introduction to the concept of racial equity in relation to social work practice. Through the example of “school settings” as a context, data will be examined through a racial equity lens and both practice and ethical obligations will be highlighted.

Defining Racial Equity “Racial equity is the condition that would be achieved if one's racial identity no longer predicted, in a statistical sense, how one fares. When we use the term, we are thinking about racial equity as one part of racial justice, and thus we also include work to address root causes of inequities, not just their manifestation. This includes elimination of policies, practices, attitudes and cultural messages that reinforce differential outcomes by race or fail to eliminate them.” Source: Center for Assessment and Policy Development

Defining Racial Equity Lens “A racial equity lens brings into focus the ways in which race and ethnicity shape experiences with power, access to opportunity, treatment, and outcomes, both today and historically. Assessing racial equity in our institutions involves ‘analyzing data and information about race and ethnicity; understanding disparities and learning why they exist; looking at problems and their root causes from a structural standpoint; and naming race explicitly when talking about problems and solutions.’” Source: Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity

How does this all connect? Racial Equity + Racial Equity Lens = Racial Justice The proactive reinforcement of policies, practices, attitudes and actions that produce equitable power, access, opportunities, treatment, impacts and outcomes for all. Source: Center for Assessment and Policy Development

Using the Lens: Analyzing Code of Ethics NASW Code of Ethics Activity: Compare & Contrast the Code of Ethics as it relates to racial equity and culturally competent practices, beliefs, and expectations. Racial Equity

Ecological Systems Theory of Development Bronfenbrenner: Everything in a child's environment affects how he or she grows and develops, with the final tier, the chronosystem, including major life transitions, environmental events and historical events that occur during development. Will guide our analysis today

Why the Lens Matters: Family As you watch the following clip: What do you notice about the controversy this family is dealing with? Is this conversation unique to African American families? If so, how and why? What impact might this have on students’ in their everyday learning?

Why the Lens Matters: Family The Controversy with the Legal System: Blackish

Why the Lens Matters: Family As you watch the following clip: What do you notice about the controversy this family is dealing with? Is this conversation unique to African American families? If so, how and why? What impact might this have on students’ in their everyday learning?

Why the Lens Matters: Immediate Community As you explore the following data for White vs. African American students: What patterns do you notice? What might we attribute these patterns to? Are there connections between the video, stories, and the data? What impact might this have on students’ everyday learning? on their long-term outcomes?

Achievement & Discipline NC Data Achievement & Discipline All charts on NC Achievement Data created by: Dr. Louis M. (Lou) Fabrizio Director, Division of Data, Research and Federal Policy, NCDPI , lou.fabrizio@dpi.nc.gov

ST/LT Suspension & Expulsion Data Race & Gender = African American/Black Students = European American/White Students Higher Bars = Greater Suspensions/Expulsions

Observations?

Why the Lens Matters: Immediate Community As you explore data for White vs African American students: What patterns do you notice? What might we attribute these patterns to? Are there connections between the videos, stories, and the data? What impact might this have on students’ everyday learning? on their long-term outcomes?

Why the Lens Matters: Institutional Community As you view the following video and NC data regarding systems outcomes for White vs African Americans, What patterns do you notice? What might we attribute these patterns to? How might the issues noted in the institutional community affect students’ everyday learning? Highlights the institutionalized racism that exists across multiple systems in US

(Times less likely than an African American person) African Americans: > 2x as likely to have poor outcomes across systems in NC (Times less likely than an African American person) Relative Rate Index White African Americans: > 2x as likely to have poor outcomes across systems in NC Black Health Education Criminal Justice CPS Economic Death from diabetes Infant death 3rd grade students below grade level Incarceration rate Searched on a routine traffic stop Long-term suspensions Children below 200% of poverty1 Unemployment Children in foster care Notes: 1) 34% of white children below 200% poverty, 67% of black children below poverty Hayes-Greene, D., & Mays, Al. (2016)

Why the Lens Matters: Institutional Community As you view the following video and NC data regarding systems outcomes for White vs African Americans, What patterns do you notice? What might we attribute these patterns to? How might the issues noted in the institutional community affect students’ everyday learning? Highlights the institutionalized racism that exists across multiple systems in US

Why the Lens Matters: Political and Social Consider current issues regarding race, politics and society, What do you notice? Is there anything in America that can exclude race? How might the issues noted in the political and social realm affect students’ everyday learning?

Reflection: Does the Lens Really Matter? Considering students within the racial context of each system we’ve examined: What’s your takeaway? new insights & considerations? same old, same old? In what ways, if any, do the issues & systems portrayed in the vidoes play out in the educational data? The Chronosystem: What current historical movement(s) might be impacting students’ development? In what ways? What’s the significance of a “lens of racial equity?”

NASW Ethical Principles and Promoting Racial Equity What is your ethical responsibility? Social workers’ primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems. Social workers challenge social injustice. Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person. Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships. Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner. Social workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise.

A Lens of Racial Equity realizes that... The lack of change has to do with our inherent belief systems around race; Only through becoming aware of these belief systems and developing a race conscious approach to [practice] can we make real change; And its use, along with an authentic commitment to change, and racially equitable ideas and recommendations, will ensure equity can be achieved for all students. The Campaign for Racial Equity in Our Schools, 2015

Thank you! Dr. Summer Gainey: summer.gainey@uncp.edu Dr. Veronica Hardy: veronica.hardy@uncp.edu

References Carroll, Grace. (1998). Environment Stress and African Americans: The Other Side of the Moon. Greenwood Publishing Group. Fabrizio, Louis M. Gaps in Student Achievement in NC on Selected Variables. Presented for the Racial Equity Committee of the Public School Forum of NC, January 13, 2016. Hayes-Greene, D., & Mays, Alfred. Racial Equity Committee Session 3 of 4. Presented for the Racial Equity Committee of the Public School Forum of NC, Feb 10, 2016. National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of Ethics. https://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/default.asp North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards. (Revised 2013). http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/effectiveness-model/ncees/standards/prof-teach-standards.pdf North Carolina Professional Social Work Standards. (2008). http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/mah/socialwork/socialworkstandards.pdf North Carolina Standards for School Executives. (Revised 2013). http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/district-humanresources/evaluation/standardsadmin.pdf National Association of School Social Workers. SSWAA Model Graphic. http://sswaa.site-ym.com/?page=264 The Campaign for Racial Equity in Chapel Hill- Carrboro City Schools. Excellence with Equity- The Schools our Children Deserve. Presented to the Public School Forum Racial Equity Committee, December 16, 2015.