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4 <br /> • Passing Civil Rights laws, which made racial discrimination illegal, but, after more than <br /> 50 years, racial inequity continues to exist. <br /> Government efforts, instead of focusing on symptoms of racial inequity, should focus on the <br /> policies and institutional strategies that are driving the production of inequities. <br /> WHY RACE? <br /> Race is a social construct and not biological, as people often think. Defining racial categories <br /> has changed over the years. Issues involving race are often "the elephant in the room" but <br /> rarely discussed with a shared understanding. To advance racial equity, it is imperative we talk <br /> about race. <br /> In the United States, while race, income, and wealth are closely connected, racial inequity is not <br /> just about income. Even when income is the controlling factor, there still exist many inequities <br /> across multiple indicators of success, including education, jobs, housing, health and <br /> incarceration. It is important to talk about race to advance racial equity. To advance racial <br /> equity, we must normalize the conversation about race and operationalize strategizes for <br /> advancing racial equity. In advancing racial equity, we will also be building systems that allow <br /> us to address income and wealth inequity and recognize the bias that exists based on gender, <br /> sexual orientation, ability, age, and religion. Focusing on race allows us to develop a <br /> framework, tools, and resources that apply to other areas of marginalization, recognizing that <br /> different strategies will be necessary to achieve equity in other areas. <br /> ADVANCING RACIAL EQUITY IMPROVES OUR COLLECTIVE SUCCESS <br /> Focusing on racial equity is critical in helping us achieve different outcomes for our <br /> communities. The goal is not just to eliminate the inequities between whites and people of <br /> color, but to increase and enhance the success of all groups. To eliminate disparities, we must <br /> strategize based on the experiences of communities being underserved by existing institutions, <br /> systems, and structures. To understand the experience of those communities, they must be <br /> included and engaged. In this process, we move past looking at disparities and find racialized <br /> systems that are costly and, depress outcomes, and life chances for all groups. Systems that <br /> are failing communities of color failing are us all by depressing life chances and outcomes. <br /> RACIAL EQUITY IS STRATEGY FOR CHANGE <br /> Over the last several decades, we have seen the introduction of many policy and programmatic <br /> efforts to advance racial equity. These individual efforts are essential but are not enough. A <br /> comprehensive strategy is necessary to achieve racial equity. Over the next several months, <br /> we will work with the GARE teams of Carrboro and Chapel Hill to develop a Countywide Racial <br /> Equity Plan. The Countywide Racial Equity Plan will focus on undoing racism both within our <br /> own individual jurisdiction and across our institutions that combine to create a system that <br /> 2 <br />