This past year we faced unimaginable events that have left us reeling and confused about systemic racism. Prior to the pandemic our nation was facing systemic racism that many people chose to ignore but the pandemic only exacerbated racial inequities. During the pandemic people of color are overrepresented as frontline workers making them more susceptible to Covid-19 infections and more likely to die from Covid-19 due to comorbidities, e.g., diabetes, heart problems and obesity. The pandemic has pushed people of color from food insecurities to hunger and homelessness.

Simultaneously we watched the brutal murder of George Floyd. That 8 minutes and 46 seconds watching a man die at the hands of a police officer in broad daylight, in an American city, forced us to reckon with the reality that claims of police brutality are more than just anti-police rhetoric.

Moments ago, I listened to a speech by President Biden in which addressed economic and racial equity. During his speech he stated; our souls will be troubled as long as systemic racism is allowed to persist. In 2020 the American Medical Association declared racism to be a public health threat. Systemic racism is not a new phenomena it is how America has preserved racial arrangements from slavery to today. Though the more blatant and incontrovertible acts of discrimination are easy to detect, systemic forms of racism obscured by colorblindness, stereotypes and implicit bias, work efficiently to maintain inequality. According to Dr. Ibram Kendi, in his book How to be an Anti-Racist, If we truly believe that all humans are equal, then disparity in condition can only be the result of systemic discrimination. Dr. Ibram Kendi “How to be an Anti-Racist”

What is systemic racism?

Institutional racism [systemic racism] consists of established laws, customs and practices that systematically reflect and produce intentionally and unintentionally racial inequalities in American society. Individuals and institutions apply and create rules, guidelines, standards, procedures and practices that create racist effects. Institutional racism exists when gross and identifiable disparities occur on the basis of group membership. Thus, in education, criminal justice, housing, health care, economics and labor force participation, if it can be shown that distinct racial differences exist, then what is observed is institutional racism (Robert Carter in Off White: Readings on Race, Power, and Society 1997).

Conducting Racial Impact Assessment to Address and Eliminate Systemic Racism

Many organizations utilize formal structured decision-making tools to identify and challenge systemic racism but using a Racial Impact Assessment (RIA) can help individuals and institutions address and eliminate systemic racism at any decision-point, at any time. This tool examines everyday decision-makers and institutional outcomes. By exploring in-depth, racial discrepancies in the interpretation, enforcement and application of policies and practices at any decision-point (within a department, campus or state). This RIA will support institutions identify and discuss the racial impact of policies at key decision points and strategies that can address and reduce systemic racism.

This RIS is designed to explore individual and institutional outcomes embedded in laws, policies and practices at each decision-point, so systemic racism can be identified and addressed.

For more information on conducting a Racial Impact Assessment with your organization, please reach out to us on our contact page.

Racial Impact Assessments from the Implicit Bias Training Institute