Revealing Inequity

A racial equity lens uncovers patterns of inequity. A racial equity lens helps reveal how society’s benefits and burdens are distributed such that race predicts privilege and disadvantage. It also aids in thinking about what can be done to change the equation.

A woman of color described using a racial equity lens when she designed a program for a national foundation that would champion artistic excellence while also reflecting the changing demography of the United States. As she began her research, she looked for structural explanations for the lack of diversity in the foundation’s existing arts grantmaking. “In the arts,” she noted, “cultural diversity is concentrated in small and mid-size organizations. That’s the result of racial inequities. Most large arts institutions have not been very diverse, and most diverse communities have not had access to the funding and other assets that are needed to create large institutions.” She therefore structured the program to focus specifically on small and mid-size organizations, where artists of color are more numerous.