RACIAL EQUITY IMPACT ASSESSMENTS:
A PRESCRIPTION FOR PREVENTING RACISM
Host: Schott Foundation for Public Education
Presenter: Applied Research Center
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February 27, 2013
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RACIAL EQUITY IMPACT ASSESSMENTS:
A PRESCRIPTION FOR PREVENTING RACISM
Moderator | Nayantara Sen
Associate Trainer
Applied Research Center
@NayantaraS
Presenter | Terry Keleher
Leadership Action Network Director
Applied Research Center
Presenter |Jermaine Toney
Research Consultant
Applied Research Center
ARC/COLORLINES.COM
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Questions
You can submit questions via using the Q & A feature and
well address as many as we can after the presentation.
Participant Question
On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate your
familiarity with Racial Equity Impact Assessments
(don’t worry -- your answer is confidential)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Not at all familiar
Not very familiar
Somewhat familiar
Familiar
Very familiar
Presentation Overview
1. Introduction
2. Problem: Deficient Decision-Making
3. Prognosis: Anticipating Outcomes
4. Prevention: Avoiding Adverse Impacts
5. Prescription: Advancing Equity
6. Q & A
The Problem:
Deficient Decision-Making
√ Lack of participation by stakeholders (especially people of color)
√ Lack of explicit attention to race
√ Insufficient consideration of impacts
√ Mechanisms to address racism after it has occurred are limited
A CAUTIONARY TALE
OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
California Class Size Reduction
Initiative
Intention: Invest $1.6 billion in K-3
education to benefit all students.
Implementation:
• Schools with ample staff and space
applied for and received grants first,
then hired new teachers, many from
inner-city schools.
• Poorer schools with less space were
less able to apply for grants.
A CAUTIONARY TALE
OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
Impact:
• Whiter, wealthier schools reduced class
sizes with qualified and diverse teachers.
• Low-income schools of color continue to
be overcrowded, but with less qualified
teachers. Racial disparities are expanded.
Insight:
• Consider racial impacts before new
problems are created.
• Target those in need first, then phase in full
services for everyone.
Presentation Overview
1. Introduction
2. Problem: Deficient Decision-Making
3. Prognosis: Anticipating Outcomes
4. Prevention: Avoiding Adverse Impacts
5. Prescription: Advancing Equity
6. Q & A
Prognosis
prog·no·sis (prg-nss)n. pl. prog·no·ses (-sz)
1. A prediction of the probable course and outcome
of a disease.
2. A forecast or prediction
HISTORY: ASSESSING IMPACTS FROM
THE START
Environmental Impact Statements (EIS): required by the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, are a decision-making
tool that describes the positive and negative effects of proposed
actions “significantly affecting the quality of the human
environment,” and identifies alternative actions that can be taken to
mitigate adverse impacts.
HISTORY: PREVENTING PROBLEMS
Voting Rights Act, Section 5
Preclearance: 1965 Civil Rights
legislation designed to outlaw
discriminatory voting practices. Section
5 of the Act requires that the U.S. Dept.
of Justice to "preclear" any attempt to
change “any voting qualification or
prerequisite to voting, or standard,
practice, or procedure with respect to
voting..." in any "covered jurisdiction.”
HISTORY: A MANDATE FOR SYSTEMIC
RACIAL EQUITY
Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000,
United Kingdom: established a statutory
general duty for government authorities to
promote race equality by:
1) eliminating unlawful discrimination;
2) promoting equality of opportunity; and
3) promoting good relations between persons
of different racial groups.
The general duty was expanded in 2010 to
include age, disability, sex, gender
reassignment, pregnancy and maternity,
race, religion or belief and sexual orientation.
HISTORY: A MANDATE FOR SYSTEMIC
RACIAL EQUITY
• The United Kingdom also required government agencies to
use Racial Equality Impact Assessments (REIAs).
• They defined these as “…a way of systematically and
thoroughly assessing, and consulting on, the effects that a
proposed policy is likely to have on people, depending on
their racial group…The main purpose of a race equality
impact assessment is to pre-empt the possibility that your
proposed policy could affect some racial groups
unfavourably.” (UK Race Relations Act, 2000)
Racial Equity Impact Assessments
Racial—provides explicit, distinct and sufficient
attention to race.
Equity—elevates attention to fairness, not only
examining inequity but also opportunities for equity.
Impact—focuses on outcomes, not simply intentions.
Assessment—involves a conscious and systematic
analysis.
Why Use REIAs?
• To engage stakeholders in decision-making, especially
those most adversely affected by current conditions.
• To bring conscious attention to racial inequities and
impacts before decisions get made.
• To avoid or minimize adverse impacts and unintended
consequences.
• To prevent racism from occurring in the first place—to get
ahead of the curve of rapidly replicating racism.
• To affirmatively advance racial equity, inclusion and unity.
Presentation Overview
1. Introduction
2. Problem: Deficient Decision-Making
3. Prognosis: Anticipating Outcomes
4. Prevention: Avoiding Adverse Impacts
5. Prescription: Advancing Equity
6. Q & A
Counteracting Implicit Bias
• A lot of contemporary racism occurs without intention or
malice. It does not require “racists.”
• Implicit biases are pervasive and predict behavior. In
institutions, individuals’ bias gets compounded in
decisions and actions unless consciously counteracted.
• “Implicit Bias…offers the idea that discrimination and bias
are social, rather than individual issues, and that we can
thus all participate in promoting equality.” -American
Values Project
Policymaking
Iowa and Connecticut Criminal Justice Laws: In
2008, Iowa passed legislation authorizing “Minority
Impact Statements” for criminal justice bills. That same
year, Connecticut approved a similar statute aimed at
assessing the impact of proposed legislation on the
racial composition of the state’s prison population.
Policymaking
Oregon Criminal Justice and Child Welfare Bill:
House Bill 2053 would allow any lawmaker to request
a study analyzing the impact of child welfare and
criminal justice laws on racial and ethnic
communities.
Governance
King County, WA: Equity and
Social Justice Initiative asks all
departments to use a “fair and just
principle” to achieve equitable
opportunities for all, and to use an
“Equity Impact Review Tool” to
consciously address the elimination
of racism in the areas of:
1) policymaking & decision-making
2) organizational operations, and
3) community engagement and
communications.
Governance
Seattle: Race and Social Justice Initiative asks all
departments to use “Racial Equity Analysis” questions for
policy development and budget-making. Questions
include how proposed actions support:
• economic equity and contracting;
• immigrant & refugee access to services;
• public engagement and outreach;
• workforce equity; and
• capacity building.
Planning & Community Development
City of Charlotte Proposed Racial or Community
Impact Statement: would help determine whether a
proposed development will reduce, limit or eliminate
programs needed by minority communities.
Planning & Community Development
City of St. Paul Proposed Racial Equity Impact
Policy: would require consideration of racial impacts for
developments involving public financing.
More Models
Opportunity Impact Assessments: measure
“opportunity impact” using metrics such as economic
development, health, education, transportation and
housing.
More Models
Health Impact Assessments: Assesses potential health
impacts of a proposal on different communities.
REIA in Action
Education Equity Organizing Collaborative, Minnesota
Example 1:
• Organizations of color conducted an REIA of a proposed $60
million dollar Strong Schools Strong City referendum;
• Supported and helped pass the initiative.
REIA in Action
Education Equity Organizing Collaborative, Minnesota
Example 2:
• Asked the Minneapolis Public School District to use an REIA
for “Changing School Options” plan. This mitigated adverse
impacts on Somali and Native American communities.
• Community stakeholders played an active role in initiating,
monitoring and engaging in the process.
REIA Questions for Analysis
1. How does the proposed action (policy, budget or investment
decision) impact racial and economic disparities in Minnesota?
2. How does the proposed action support and advance racial and
economic equity in such areas as education, contracting,
immigrant and refugee access to services, health, workforce and
economic development?
3. Have voices of groups affected by the proposal, budget, or
investment decision been involved with its development? What
solutions were proposed by these groups and communities?
REIA Questions for Analysis (continued)
4. What do you need to ensure that proposals are successful in
addressing disparities—what resources, what timelines, and
what monitoring will help ensure success of proposal for
achieving racial and economic equity?
5. If your assessment shows that a proposed policy, budget or
investment decisions will likely increase disparities, what
alternatives can you explore? What modifications are needed to
maximize racial and economic equity outcomes and reduce racial
and economic disparities?
Pratt Elementary School, Minneapolis – saved through analysis and advocacy.
Data Sources
• Identifying what’s available
• Identifying what’s needed
• Generating needed data
• Advocating for appropriate data collection
Stakeholder Engagement is Key
Presentation Overview
1. Introduction
2. Problem: Deficient Decision-Making
3. Prognosis: Anticipating Outcomes
4. Prevention: Avoiding Adverse Impacts
5. Prescription: Advancing Equity
6. Q & A
The Prescription: Prevent Racism…
• Eliminate existing racial inequality
• Prevent future racial inequities
The Prescription: Prevent Racism… AND
Advance Equity
• Advance racial equity
• Advance racial inclusion
• Advance racial unity
Conducting an REIA
1. Identifying Stakeholders
2. Engaging Stakeholders
3. Identifying and Documenting Racial Inequities
4. Examining the Causes
5. Clarifying the Purpose
Conducting an REIA (Continued)
6. Considering Adverse Impacts
7. Advancing Equitable Impacts
8. Examining Alternatives or Improvements
9. Ensuring Viability and Sustainability
10. Identifying Success Indicators
Exercise 1:
Advocating for Using REIAs
Name one way to use an REIA to help
issues/communities you care about.
Exercise 2:
Advocating for Using REIAs
Name a first step you could take to advance the
use of REIAs.
Summary
REIA’s move us from:
• Reactive

Proactive and Prevention
• Colorblindness

Equity-Mindedness
• Exclusion

Inclusion
• Inequity

Equity
Presentation Overview
1. Introduction
2. Problem: Deficient Decision-Making
3. Prognosis: Anticipating Outcomes
4. Prevention: Avoiding Adverse Impacts
5. Prescription: Advancing Equity
6. Q & A
QUESTIONS
Starter Question:
What are some adverse racial impacts you want to change?
KEY RESOURCES & LINKS
• Racial Equity Impact Assessment Toolkit, ARC
http://www.arc.org/content/blogcategory/72/167/
• Jermaine Toney, jtoney@arc.org
• Terry Keleher, tkeleher@arc.org
• Nayantara Sen senn@arc.org
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