A FRAMEWORK FOR
UNDERSTANDING THE CAUSES
OF RACIAL INEQUITIES IN 21ST
CENTURY AMERICA
Presented by:
The Aspen Institute
Roundtable on Community Change
Anne Kubisch, Keith Lawrence, Raymond Codrington
October 2, 2012
Detroit, MI
OUR AGENDA FOR TODAY:

A language to talk about race

A framework for understanding how race
and ethnicity operate in contemporary
America (post-civil rights legislation)

New ideas and strategies for promoting
racial equity
What is race and how do we
understand it?

“A social construct”

No biological or scientific basis behind it

Best understood in social and political
terms
New Language – we need to
identify and talk about:

The ongoing
advantages
associated with being
"white” – sometimes
referred to as a
white privilege

The ongoing
disadvantages
associated with being
a person of
“color”— which we
refer to as
structural racism
Percent of Michigan Population Living Under
the Poverty Line by Race (2010)
80%
76%
70%
60%
50%
41%
40%
33%
30%
20%
20%
14%
10%
4%
15%
5%
0%
Black
Hispanic
Percentage of population
Other
White
Percentage living in poverty
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts.
http://www.statehealthfacts.org/profileind.jsp?cmprgn=1&cat=1&rgn=24&ind=14&sub=2
Racial Disparities in Michigan High School
Graduation Rates (2009)
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Black/ African
American
Dropout
Hispanic or Latino
Will not graduate on time
White
Asian
On track to graduate
Source: Race Matters for Michigan Children, 2011. http://www.michiganschildren.org/Equity
How is structural racism different?
Common explanations of entrenched racial
and/or ethnic disparity:
Individual
Institutional
Structural
Racism at the individual or
inter-group level:
• Personal prejudice
• Racial slurs, the n-word
• Inter-group tensions
Solution strategies include:
• Diversity and multi-culturalism
• Cultural competence
…these are
important, and
these personal
attitudes and
beliefs color
decision-making
and actions.
The bigger problem…
Racism at the
institutional and structural
levels
Institutional Racism
Education
Health
Employment
Criminal
Justice
Housing
Environment
Examples of Institutional Racism

Discriminatory practices, intentional or not

Redlining or “steering”

Occupational segregation

Racial profiling
One example: Racial profiling
Police Traffic Stops, Searches & Outcomes, by
Race/Ethnicity
16.00%
14.00%
12.00%
10.00%
8.00%
6.00%
4.00%
2.00%
0.00%
White
Black
Hispanic
Drivers Stopped Driver or Vehicle Criminal Evidence
by Police
Searched During Found During
Stop
Search
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Contacts
Between Police and the Public: Findings from the 2002 National Survey. April 2005.
Institutional Racism:
A Systems Perspective
Education
Health
Employment
Criminal
Justice
Housing
Environment
Structural Racism
Culture
Education
Health
Employment
Criminal
Justice
Housing
Environment
What is Structural Racism?
It describes the complex ways that
history, public policies, institutional practices
and cultural representations
(e.g., stereotypes, norms)
interact to maintain racial hierarchy and inequitable
racial group outcomes; thereby allowing
privileges associated with “whiteness”
and disadvantages associated with “color”
to endure and adapt.
Structural Racism and Racial Inequities
Knowledge or
Ideological
Context
Historically
Accumulated
White Privilege
National
Values
Contemporary
Culture
Institutional Manifestations
Social Manifestations
Social
Processes
Maintaining
Racial
Hierarchies
Institutional Racism & Inter-Institutional Interactions
Education
Health
Employment
Criminal
Justice
Housing
Environment
Production & Reproduction of Racial Inequities
Structural Racism and Racial Inequities
Knowledge or
Ideological
Context
Historically
Accumulated
White Privilege
National
Values
Contemporary
Culture
Institutional Manifestations
Social Manifestations
Social
Processes
Maintaining
Racial
Hierarchies
Institutional Racism & Inter-Institutional Interactions
Education
Health
Employment
Criminal
Justice
Housing
Environment
Production & Reproduction of Racial Inequities
WE
ARE
HERE
Historically Accumulated White Privilege
Whites’ historical and contemporary advantages in access to:
• quality education
• decent jobs
• livable wages
• home ownership
• retirement benefits
… have helped create and sustain
advantages in wealth accumulation.
Net Worth by Race
Since the “Great Recession,” wealth gap widest in 25 yrs
White net worth = 20 X wealth of Blacks; 18 X wealth of Hispanics
In 2009, one-quarter of all Black, Hispanic households had ZERO assets.
Source: Pew
Research Center
Pew Social &
Demographic
Trends Report
Wealth Gaps Rise
to Record Highs
Between Whites,
Blacks, Hispanics
July 26,2011
Parents/Grandparents of
WHITE AMERICANS:

Had higher incomes/earned
salaries

Accumulated retirement through
union membership, participation
in social security, etc.

Benefited from home ownership
policies and were able to buy
property in rising neighborhoods.
Parents/Grandparents of
BLACK AMERICANS:

Had lower incomes because of
educational segregation and
discrimination in employment.

Were denied access to suburban
real estate because of
exclusionary brokering and
community planning

Were denied low-interest
Federal Housing Authority
mortgage loans due to
“redlining”
Structural Racism and Racial Inequities
Knowledge or
Ideological
Context
Historically
Accumulated
White Privilege
National
Values
Contemporary
Culture
Institutional Manifestations
Social Manifestations
Social
Processes
Maintaining
Racial
Hierarchies
Institutional Racism & Inter-Institutional Interactions
Education
Health
Employment
Criminal
Justice
Housing
Environment
Production & Reproduction of Racial Inequities
WE
ARE
HERE
National Values
Such as:
Equal opportunity:
• A “level playing field”
Meritocracy:
• Advancement depends on talent and effort
Individualism/ Personal Responsibility:
• Individual choices and behaviors determine
outcomes
National Values
For too many people of color, these national values do not apply:
Negates the material
and psychological
advantages of some
groups
Equal
Opportunity
Reinforces the myth
that individual skills
and effort wholly
determine outcomes
Often implies inherent laziness
and a poor work ethic for
many people of color.
These views can be held
by whites or POC
Structural Racism and Racial Inequities
Knowledge or
Ideological
Context
Historically
Accumulated
White Privilege
National
Values
Contemporary
Culture
Institutional Manifestations
Social Manifestations
Social
Processes
Maintaining
Racial
Hierarchies
Institutional Racism & Inter-Institutional Interactions
Education
Health
Employment
Criminal
Justice
Housing
Environment
Production & Reproduction of Racial Inequities
WE
ARE
HERE
Contemporary Culture
Societal norms, values and practices
reinforce racial stereotypes and emphasize
“innate” capacities of different groups.
The media’s creation and perpetuation of racial
stereotypes has been particularly pernicious. For
example…
Perceptions of Young Black Men
When people are seen as possessing “deficient” or “deviant”
cultural practices:
• It becomes common sense to deny
public resources, judge them
differently
• People can point to culture as an
individual not structural impediment
to progress.
• These stereotypes are often recycled
and have appeared in the past.
Cultural Perceptions:
“Everything’s in a Name”
Percentage of applicants that received interview requests:
Common WHITE names
Common BLACK names
Kristen
Carrie
Laurie
Meredith
Sarah
Allison
Jill
Anne
Emily
Ebony
Latonya
Kenya
Latoya
Tanisha
Lakisha
Tamika
Keisha
Aisha
Average 10.3%
Average 6.9%
Source: Alan B. Krueger. Economic Scene: sticks and stones can break bones, but the
wrong name can make a job hard to find. The New York Times. (December 1, 2002), C2.
Influence of Cultural Perceptions in determining
outcomes in opportunity domains
Source: The Civil Rights Project. “Opportunities Suspended: The Devastating
Consequences of Zero Tolerance and School Discipline.” Harvard University. (2000): P.8
.
Internalized White Privilege
“…an invisible package of
unearned assets which I can
count on cashing in each day,
but about which I was meant
to remain oblivious….”
- Peggy Macintosh, “White Privilege:
Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.”
Contents of a Knapsack
• I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I
will not be followed or harassed.
• I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and
see people of my race widely represented.
• I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.
• I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most
of the time.
• If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be
sure I haven't been singled out because of my race.
• I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism
for their own daily physical protection.
Internalized Oppression
by African Americans
“Stereotype Threat”
• African American students perform as well as their
white peers on exams when they are told the test is
merely an exercise
• They perform more poorly than their white peers
when told that the exam
is intended to assess their
competence and intelligence
Source: http://www.ReduceStereotypeThreat.org
Structural Racism and Racial Inequities
Knowledge or
Ideological
Context
Historically
Accumulated
White Privilege
National
Values
Contemporary
Culture
Institutional Manifestations
Social Manifestations
Social
Processes
Maintaining
Racial
Hierarchies
Institutional Racism & Inter-Institutional Interactions
Education
Health
Employment
Criminal
Justice
WE
ARE
HERE
Housing
Environment
Production & Reproduction of Racial Inequities
Structural Racism is reconstructed and preserved through
various sorting processes, such as …
Marginalization
Included
but
relegated
Exploitation
Social Isolation
& Exclusion
Taken
advantage
of
Not
included
… that often reposition groups of color … rather
than eliminate racial hierarchy.
Latin Americans – Examples of exclusion,
marginalization, exploitation
Pressure to deport illegal Mexican workers
 Southern border fence
 Periodic “English only” campaigns
 Community mobilizations against “day laborers.”
 Occupation segregation, e.g., Mexicans relegated to lowwage jobs in food service industry, agriculture,
construction
 Deportation initiatives
 Labor exploitation in agriculture (migrant farm
workers), manufacturing (the garment industry), and
home care (housekeeping, child and elder care).

Another social process that maintains
racial hierarchies…
Progress and Retrenchment:
Progress has been made through
major “racial equality” victories
BUT
Gains on some fronts are often challenged,
neutralized or undermined.
Significant backlashes develop in key
public policy areas.
A recent retrenchment example…
A 2008 report from United for a Fair
Economy estimates that the
total loss of wealth for people of
color from subprime loans taken out
between 2000 and 2008 will be between
$164 and $213 Billion.
Source: Amaad Rivera et al. Foreclosed: State of the Dream, 2008. United for a Fair Economy. January 15, 2008.
Structural Racism and Racial Inequities
Knowledge or
Ideological
Context
Historically
Accumulated
White Privilege
National
Values
Contemporary
Culture
Institutional Manifestations
Social Manifestations
Social
Processes
Maintaining
Racial
Hierarchies
Institutional Racism & Inter-Institutional Interactions
Education
Health
Employment
Criminal
Justice
Housing
Environment
Production & Reproduction of Racial Inequities
Video:
An Example of Structural Racism?
“The Color Line and the Bus Line”
◦ Nightline by Ted Koppel
Table Exercise:
Break into small groups
 Identify one racial inequity in Michigan
 Identify the historical origin
 Identify a contemporary policy or
practice that helps perpetuate it
 Identity an aspect of contemporary
culture that helps perpetuate it

In Conclusion….
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Why focus on structural racism?
Structural causes of inequalities are difficult to
see because:
We are so embedded in them
They are woven into the fabric of our assumptions about
how things operate
They are self-perpetuating and don’t require active work to
be maintained
“Fish don’t notice the water they’re
swimming in”
What does the Structural Racism
Framework mean for people who want
to reduce inequities?
It means four types of changes in the way we work:
• Internal change
• Policy change
• Practice change
• Cultural/representational change
“Internal” Change
Accepting and establishing racial equity as a central
tenet and operating principle in our work to
improve outcomes in our internal work
environment.
For example:

Focus not just on improving outcomes for all but also on reducing
racial gaps

Focus not just on diversity in the workplace, but also on racial equity
in opportunities for advancement and leadership
“Policy” change:
Working on the fundamental rules of the game
within your organization and your field, and not
shrinking from challenging traditional power bases
and networks.
For example:
• Focus on the fundamental distribution of resources in terms of
money, infrastructure, and opportunities within your organization
and outside your organization
“Practice” Change:
Focusing carefully on all of the ways in which
standard practices reproduce – or fail to
counteract – racially disparate outcomes.

For example:
• Critically examine informal practices within your organization and
their impact on racial and ethnic minorities (e.g. mentoring, access
to positions which lead to leadership opportunities, visibility etc.)
“Cultural” or “representational” change:
Reframing and changing stereotypical messages,
images and interpretations of information about
people of color.
For Example:
• Challenge assumptions that employees, board members,
policymakers, the citizens of our communities, and other key
actors bring to discussions about people of color because these
assumptions “frame” how problems are perceived and how
solutions are developed.
PROJECT BREAKTHROUGH: CHANGING
THE STORY OF RACE IN JACKSONVILLE
A partnership of
• The Community Foundation in Jacksonville,
• The Jacksonville Human Rights Commission,
• The OneJax Institute
Since 2008, Project Breakthrough has worked on:
 Promoting Civic Leadership: Convened Jacksonville’s key leaders in a
seminar on structural racism
 Changing Key Policies and Practices:
• Conducted training seminars for middle- & high-school educators
• Developed a curriculum for judges in Florida
 Changing Media Messages:
• Convened Jacksonville’s media professionals in a seminar
• Conducted training seminars for the staff of the city’s newspaper, The
Florida Times Union
Constructing a Racial Equity
Theory of Change
What we
want
Our
priorities
What
helps,
hinders
Desired Racial Equity Outcome
Building
Block
P +/- P +/- R+/-
Building
Building
Building
Building
Block
Block
Block
Block
P+/- P +/- R +/-
P +/- P +/- R+/-
Who has most power, influence to shape PPRs
What we
must know
Possible sources of retrenchment
How governance works in our context
Assess our organizational capacity realistically
What we
must do
Given our capacities, decide role we can play, set strategic priorities, identify allies
Take action!!
Thank You
The Aspen Institute
Roundtable on Community Change
281 Park Avenue South, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10010
(212) 677-5510