Reducing gaps in income and wealth requires acknowledging and honoring the equal value of all people, investing in communities that have been historically disenfranchised, and rectifying past wrongdoings to ensure such disparities in economic opportunity and access are not passed along to future generations.
The false belief in racial and ethnic hierarchy has been infused throughout the U.S. legal system and operates through laws, public policies, and accompanying practices and norms. Whether deliberately or unintentionally, laws and policies have enabled, sustained, and exacerbated unequal treatment of people of color.
Segregation has been deemed a form of “opportunity hoarding,” conferring benefits of homeownership, high-quality schools, and access to political power and other resources to white people. The effects are immense.
Racial healing is about building relationships, connecting people, and expanding the circles of engagement needed for overcoming racial hierarchy and building political will. It is a precursor to meaningful and sustainable policy change.
Achieving racial equity and healing from the trauma of centuries of legal, institutional, and structured racial hierarchy requires transforming our experiences, stories, and understandings about the equal and inherent value of all humanity.
This is a moment of unprecedented momentum for racial healing and change. Working together, local jurisdictions, activists, public officials, community and civic leaders are boldly paving the way forward, creating pathways to overcome barriers erected by structural and systemic racism.
Orlando, Florida, uses effective service delivery alongside sustained, full-circle feedback, as a means by which to promote civic engagement and improve service delivery, despite the challenge of a rapidly growing population. Through its innovative Digital Platforms and Service Design team, city government seeks to foster a high-quality delivery of services to improve the interactions with the public.
Programs serving youth are often developed and implemented with little or no input from the people that use them, so it is not surprising when those programs fail to attract youth interest or effectively serve their needs. Research demonstrates that engaging the target population in the planning, content and delivery of programs increases the likelihood of success.
Detroit’s Department of Neighborhoods provides a direct link between the local government and block clubs, community groups, business owners, faith leaders, educators, and everyday residents. Its successes have demonstrated the benefits that emerge when citizens organize in a formalized manner to work with their elected officials and advocate for their neighborhoods.
