A Path To Racial Equity Worksheet

Racial Equity is a state in which race no longer predicts outcomes. Achieving Racial Equity is the mission of Forward Through Ferguson. But the 189 calls to action in the Ferguson Commission Report are a reminder that there is no one-step, straight-line path from our current state—where racial disparities exist in almost every set of outcome data available—to a state of Racial Equity.

This worksheet aims to map out a Path Toward Racial Equity. The path has three stages, shown along the top:Awareness of Inequity, Understanding of Why Inequity Exists, and Transforming Towards Equity. The left side shows who is moving along the path:individuals, institutions, and the region as a whole.

Click here to download a PDF of the tool.

The goal of the grid is to help people and organizations see the full path toward Racial Equity, distinguish between the different stages, and locate themselves and their projects along it. We’ve also found that it presents specific language and framing for ideas that people have felt or sensed, but have not quite been able to put words to. Thus, the framework facilitates more productive conversations by proposing a shared vocabulary and model for Racial Equity work.

We hope that, like any good tool, it can support your work. We also hope that it helps you see where you or your institution can make an impact to help the region progress. Because if we’re going to achieve Racial Equity, it’s going to take an unprecedented alignment of commitment, regional resources, and persistence. But we believe we can do it.

Forward Through Ferguson is committed to radical listening. In that spirit, please email us at implementation@forwardthroughferguson.org to let us know if this worksheet is useful to you in growing your understanding of Racial Equity, or how we might make it more helpful.