Racial Equity- For Decision Makers

Systemic racism (as explained in the animated video below) leads to health inequities, which are stark differences in health outcomes based on racial identity (or similar markers, such as zipcode).

The health system, including our mental health system and family-serving systems, are full of barriers to BIPOC (Black and Indigenous People of Color) from getting needed services from prevention to crisis. These barriers may be organizational policies, insurance policies, therapy that is not culturally informed or effective, how decisions are made about what happens to Black bodies or where a clinic gets opened, or narratives that label certain behaviors as "bad" but only in certain people.

We need leaders for equity (as discussed in the video below) who are committed to a vision of community where racial identity no longer predicts, in a statistical sense, the quality and outcomes of someone's life.

More resources for you:

Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture in the Social Sector
Race Equity and Inclusion Action Guide --> Embracing Equity: 7 Steps to Advance and Embed Race Equity and Inclusion Within Your Organization

Establish an understanding of race equity principles

Engage context experts, the people/stakeholders most impacted by decisions, especially people of color. Specifically, this means more than inviting people to the table, but changing when and where the table is set up, changing how the table is set up, changing how people talk at the table, and valuing the voices of those special guests to the table.

Gather and analyze data that is separated by race (and other factors)

Conduct systems analysis of root causes of inequities

Identify strategies and target resources to address root causes of inequities

Conduct race equity impact assessment for all policies and decision-making

Continuously evaluate effectiveness and adapt strategies - be responsive to needs of communities of color