ST 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 ID: 316736
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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, MISlide2
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 Slide3
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 termsSlide4
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 racismSlide5
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts. http://www.statehealthfacts.org/profileind.jsp?cmprgn=1&cat=1&rgn=24&ind=14&sub=2
Slide6
Source: Race Matters for Michigan Children, 2011. http://www.michiganschildren.org/EquitySlide7
Common explanations of entrenched racial and/or ethnic disparity:
Structural
Institutional
Individual
How is structural racism different?Slide8
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.Slide9
The bigger problem…
Racism at the
institutional
and
structural
levelsSlide10
Institutional RacismSlide11
Examples of Institutional Racism
Discriminatory practices, intentional or not
Redlining or “steering”
Occupational segregation
Racial profilingSlide12
One example: Racial profiling
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Contacts
Between Police and the Public: Findings from the 2002 National Survey.
April 2005. Slide13
Institutional Racism:
A Systems PerspectiveSlide14
Structural Racism
History
Culture
ValuesSlide15
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. Slide16
Structural Racism and
Racial Inequities
Contemporary
Culture
Historically
Accumulated
White Privilege
National
Values
Social
Processes
Maintaining Racial
Hierarchies
Institutional
Racism & Inter-Institutional Interactions
Production
& Reproduction of Racial Inequities
Knowledge or Ideological Context
Social Manifestations
Institutional Manifestations
Education
Environment
Employment
Housing
Health
Criminal
JusticeSlide17
Structural Racism and
Racial Inequities
Contemporary
Culture
Historically
Accumulated
White Privilege
National
Values
Social
Processes
Maintaining Racial
Hierarchies
Institutional
Racism & Inter-Institutional Interactions
Production
& Reproduction of Racial Inequities
Knowledge or Ideological Context
Social Manifestations
Institutional Manifestations
Education
Environment
Employment
Housing
Health
Criminal
Justice
WE ARE HERESlide18
Historically Accumulated White Privilege
quality education
decent jobs
livable wages
home ownership
retirement benefits
Whites’ historical and contemporary advantages in access to:
… have helped
create
and
sustain
advantages in wealth accumulation. Slide19
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
Net Worth by RaceSlide20
Parents/Grandparents of
WHITE AMERICANS:
Parents/Grandparents of
BLACK 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.
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”Slide21
Structural Racism and
Racial Inequities
Contemporary
Culture
Historically
Accumulated
White Privilege
National
Values
Social
Processes
Maintaining Racial
Hierarchies
Institutional
Racism & Inter-Institutional Interactions
Production
& Reproduction of Racial Inequities
Knowledge or Ideological Context
Social Manifestations
Institutional Manifestations
Education
Environment
Employment
Housing
Health
Criminal
Justice
WE ARE HERESlide22
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 outcomesSlide23
Often implies inherent laziness
and a poor work ethic for
many people of color.
These views can be held
by whites or POC
National Values
For too many people of color, these national values do not apply:
Equal Opportunity
Reinforces the myth that individual skills and effort wholly determine outcomes
Negates the material and psychological advantages of some groupsSlide24
Structural Racism and
Racial Inequities
Contemporary
Culture
Historically
Accumulated
White Privilege
National
Values
Social
Processes
Maintaining Racial
Hierarchies
Institutional
Racism & Inter-Institutional Interactions
Production
& Reproduction of Racial Inequities
Knowledge or Ideological Context
Social Manifestations
Institutional Manifestations
Education
Environment
Employment
Housing
Health
Criminal
Justice
WE ARE HERESlide25
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…
Contemporary CultureSlide26
Perceptions of Young Black Men
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.
When people are seen as possessing “deficient” or “deviant” cultural practices: Slide27
Cultural Perceptions:
“Everything’s in a Name”
Percentage of applicants that received interview requests:
Common
WHITE
names
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.
Ebony
Latonya
Kenya
Latoya
Tanisha
Lakisha
Tamika
Keisha
Aisha
Average 6.9%
Kristen
Carrie
Laurie
Meredith
Sarah
Allison
Jill
Anne
Emily
Average 10.3%
Common
BLACK
names
Slide28
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
.Slide29
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.” Slide30
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.Slide31
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.orgSlide32
Structural Racism and
Racial Inequities
Contemporary
Culture
Historically
Accumulated
White Privilege
National
Values
Social
Processes
Maintaining Racial
Hierarchies
Institutional
Racism & Inter-Institutional Interactions
Production
& Reproduction of Racial Inequities
Knowledge or Ideological Context
Social Manifestations
Institutional Manifestations
Education
Environment
Employment
Housing
Health
Criminal
Justice
WE ARE HERESlide33
Structural Racism is reconstructed and preserved through various
sorting
processes, such as …
Marginalization
Social Isolation
& Exclusion
Exploitation
Included
but
relegated
Not
included
Taken
advantage
of
… that
often
reposition
groups of
color
…
rather than eliminate
racial
hierarchy.Slide34
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 low-wage 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).Slide35
Another social process
that
maintains
racial hierarchies…
Progress and Retrenchment:
Progress has been made through
major “racial equality” victories
Gains on some fronts are often challenged, neutralized or undermined.
Significant backlashes develop in key
public policy
areas.
BUTSlide36
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
.Slide37
Structural Racism and
Racial Inequities
Contemporary
Culture
Historically
Accumulated
White Privilege
National
Values
Social
Processes
Maintaining Racial
Hierarchies
Institutional
Racism & Inter-Institutional Interactions
Production
& Reproduction of Racial Inequities
Knowledge or Ideological Context
Social Manifestations
Institutional Manifestations
Education
Environment
Employment
Housing
Health
Criminal
JusticeSlide38
Video: An Example of Structural Racism?
“The Color Line and the Bus Line”
Nightline by Ted KoppelSlide39
Table Exercise: Break into small groupsIdentify 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 itSlide40
In Conclusion….WHAT CAN BE DONE?Slide41
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
”Slide42
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 changeSlide43
“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 leadershipSlide44
“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 organizationSlide45
“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.)Slide46
“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.Slide47
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
UnionSlide48
Constructing a Racial Equity Theory of ChangeSlide49
Desired Racial Equity Outcome
Building
Block
P +/-
P +/-
R+/-
P+/-
R+/-
P +/-
P +/-
R +/-
P +/-
Who has most power, influence to shape PPRs
Possible sources of retrenchment
Assess our organizational capacity realistically
Building
Block
Building
Block
Building
Block
Building
Block
What we want
Our priorities
What helps, hinders
What we
must know
What we must do
How governance works in our context
Given our capacities, decide role we can play, set strategic priorities, identify allies
Take action!!Slide50
Thank You
The Aspen Institute
Roundtable on Community Change
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Floor
New York, NY 10010
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