GARE's Racial Equity InSight is a quarterly curated selection of resources reflecting the current racial equity landscape across the nation. We aim for this snapshot to support deepending racial equity practice and faciliate connections among GARE racial equity practitioners and beyond.

This quarterly scan reflects the continued commitment to center racial equity in government so that our public institutions serve everyone. Racial equity practitioners are transforming what it means to govern for the public good in our country. GARE's members are ensuring accountability, deepening participation by those impacted by systemic racism, creating robust transparency practices, and advancing distributive justice with public resources. These practices taking root in government are an essential foundation for building a vibrant and resilient multiracial democracy that gives us all the freedom to thrive.

"GARE's Racial Equity InSight is a quarterly curated selection of resources reflecting the current racial equity landscape across the nation. We aim for this snapshot to support deepending racial equity practice and faciliate connections among GARE racial equity practitioners and beyond.

In this issue, we have uplifted artistic and creative approaches to distilling racial equity concepts and strategies. In the section, “Deepening Our Practice,” find resources for strengthening data and evaluation tools such as racial equity impact assessments and economic dashboards."

This 2015 report produced by Jessica King for the Center for Social Inclusion details research findings about the importance of talking about race explicitly and can be used to inform communications strategies for a range of issues, from housing to education to health care and beyond. 

With small and medium businesses supporting nearly half of the U.S. workforce, local and regional government actors are focused on alternative solutions to fluctuations in the economy—compounded by the effects of COVID-19—in underserved communities which are disproportionately of color (Small Business Trends, 2021). Amid ongoing uncertainty and their budget constraints, local communities and major stakeholders are asking: How can we craft effective and equitable small business recovery plans? This case study examines the potential for employee ownership models to address the racial wealth gap, the types of employee ownership models available to local governments and community stakeholders, the strengths/ weaknesses of each model, and recommendations made by advocates and strategies for implementation.

The Government Alliance on Race and Equity, Ground Works Consulting, and the Association of Bay Area Governments present Advancing Racial Equity in Housing, Land, and Development, A Toolbox for Racial Equity Pracittioners in Government. This toolbox includes materials for local government staff and their community partners to embed racial equity in housing and planning agencies’ structures, policies, and practices. Materials include conceptual frameworks and the tools and best practices to apply these frameworks in a local government setting. The primary audience for the toolbox is racial equity practitioners within local housing, planning, and community development agencies with some understanding of racial equity concepts and strategies and a desire to learn more about how to apply them to housing and land use contexts. It is designed for practitioners to begin to use the toolbox’s resources with other colleagues and community partners.

"GARE's Racial Equity InSight is a quarterly curated selection of resources reflecting the current racial equity landscape across the nation. We aim for this snapshot to support deepending racial equity practice and faciliate connections among GARE racial equity practitioners and beyond.

This issue includes resources such as: guidance on writing an organizational solidarity statement, identifying racial equity strategies in procurement processes, and methodology for structural racism research. "

GARE's Advancing Racial Equity in Government Online course is for government employees who want to begin their work as racial equity practitioners in government and the public sector. The self-paced online course is designed to create a shared understanding of key concepts like: 

• The history of racism in the United States 
• The 4 levels of racism, with an emphasis on institutional and structural racism  
• Implicit and explicit bias 
• Racial equity 
• The role of government in advancing racial equity 
• Actions you can take in your workplace to advance racial equity 

This self-paced online course includes video, audio, quizzes, readings, and recorded presentations. A personal learning journal is designed to spur individual reflection and retention of core concepts. Enrollment is complemented by an online peer learning community where you can ask questions, comment and reflect with others taking the course and build lasting connections with peers working toward racial equity in public service.  

The overall course typically takes up to 8 hours to complete. Each learning module includes an estimated amount of time. We recommend scheduling up to 2 hours a week to complete this course over the course of a month.  

The 2022 Annual Membership Meeting In-Review provides a flavor of the topics, issues, and solutions GARE member jurisdictions are advancing locally, as well as big ideas that are animating our movement for advancing racial equity in government! This compendium compiles letters from GARE and Race Forward leadership, plenary and breakout session descriptions, select recordings, as well as resources shared in select sessions at our inaugural online and in-person annual membership meeting.

Please note: all linked resources in this compendium must be accessed via the GARE Network Portal. The GARE Network Portal is an online community for employees of GARE member agencies to participate in discussions, learn about GARE member events, connect with other racial equity practitioners working in government, and share resources. If you are an employee of a GARE member jurisdiction and not yet registered for the Network Portal, please sign up here using your government-issued email address. Requests for an account are generally approved within 1-2 business days.

"Organizing for Racial Equity Within the Federal Government introduces multiple actions that can strengthen and grow the influence of our public institutions, so they serve their highest purpose.  Federal partners can deploy an inside/outside strategy to create productive tension and accountability.  Federal agencies can overcome inertia by building capacity for lasting organizational change.  Networking strategies and networked structures across the whole of the federal government are required for long-term change.  Last, racial equity practitioners should anticipate resistance; prepare for backlash; and consider it a teachable moment when it occurs.

Organizing our federal government for the work ahead will require incorporating racial equity values in processes, outcomes, and products.  Organizing is dependent on growing the number and influence of racial equity practitioners across agencies and offices.  Internally, it prioritizes strong relationships as well as a culture of learning.  Externally, it restores and maintains public trust based on accountable government relationships with communities most impacted by racial inequities.  

Civil servants can organize inside federal institutions.  While the leadership and clear expectations of top officials is critical, committed staff, teams, and managers are the engines for long-term change.  With this resource, racial equity experts can improve how they reach across functions as well as throughout the hierarchy to support change."

A Racial Equity Core Team is a primary leadership team responsible for designing, coordinating, and orga­nizing racial equity plans and activities across a government jurisdiction or institution that is committed to equitable systems change. The Core Team often serves as the engine for change, leading the way, pulling others along, chugging through sometimes challenging terrain, keeping things on track, moving a diverse community of people in a com­mon direction, and building the movement and momentum to arrive at the destination of equitable outcomes. This  guide provides jurisdictions and organizations with the tools and strategies to establish and scale a cross-departmental Core Team, as well as case studies from GARE Network Members.

This guide is published by the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, a national network of government working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all. Authored by Terry Keleher, Director of Strategic Innovations, Race Forward.