Racial Equity: Closing the Systemic Barriers

Originally published on Inside Policy & Politics on Chron.com on July 28, 2021.

Written by Emily Tristan

Emily is an inaugural Harris Fellow and is working in the office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis.

enough is enough graphic

The promise of equality

“The promise of equality is not going to be fulfilled until we become real; it becomes real in our schools and on our Main Streets and in our neighborhoods,” stated president Biden during his announcement that Juneteenth will become a federal holiday[1]. How do we make it real? What actions can we take that show our actual progression as a nation? The answer is racial equity. It starts with looking at our communities and implementing new policies to make our neighborhoods more inclusive and empowered. The goal is to build upon the tireless work that generations of abolitionists, activists, and even everyday Americans have worked towards in advocating for racial equity. The first step is the meaningful enactment of policies and laws to make our country equal for all.

Reconciling a racist past

At the forefront of this initiative is County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who has set out to eliminate racist public names in Harris County. Every day that these names remain, they continue to reference a terror-filled period when Black people, and other people of color, were not seen as full citizens deserving of human rights. Commissioner Ellis is dedicated to removing racially offensive names given to creeks, rivers, lakes, ponds, bays, coves, hills, and other geographic features. On June 29, 2021, Harris County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to change the name of Dixie Farm Road Park in honor of Juneteenth. A change that I was honored to work on and be a part of. The expungement of such derogatory terms is essential in ending racist practices.

Systemic barriers

Although the removal and reviewing of racially offensive names are essential in achieving racial equity, it will not eradicate the struggles that people of color face. Black Americans face systematic barriers in the criminal justice system, voting rights, employment, housing, education, healthcare, and the wealth gap. When developing new policies to close these barriers, we must acknowledge that Black people and white people are not similarly situated because white people have been and continue to be treated more favorably than Black people by government institutions.[2]

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(Source: Pew Research Center)

According to a report by the Pew Research Center, a majority of Americans say being Black or Hispanic puts people at a disadvantage in our society.

About six in ten (58%) U.S. adults say being Black hurts people’s ability to get ahead in this country at least a little, and 55% say the same about being Hispanic. Most Americans (60%) say being white helps people get ahead, with 40% saying it helps a lot.[3]

graph

(Source: Pew Research Center)

A growing share of Black and Hispanic adults say the country hasn’t made enough progress on racial equality.

Overall, 49% of U.S. adults now say the country has not gone far enough when it comes to Black people having equal rights with white people, compared to 45% in 2019. Majority of Hispanics (57%) now say the country hasn’t gone far enough in this regard, compared to 48% in 2019. Meanwhile, the views of white Americans are virtually unchanged. [4]The statistics are alarming because despite the Black population being viewed as “disadvantaged” by most Americans, not enough is being done to break down the systemic barriers that create those disadvantages.

Harris County declared racism a public health crisis

To address some of these disparities, the Harris County Commissioners Court has sought to reduce systemic barriers head on. The Court declared racism a public health crisis. “Racism impacts every social determinant of health, and it leads to disparities and inequities in life expectancy, wealth, incarceration rates, rates of maternal and infant deaths, asthma, cancer, and dementia, among many other factors,” stated Commissioner Ellis.[5] Commissioner Ellis introduced this resolution to recognize the health disparities in communities of color and call for better data collection on inequities, developing programs and partnerships with community organizations to improve health care, and incorporating an equity lens into county decisions and actions.

Harris County Precinct One has developed a first of its kind department

Harris County Precinct One led the effort to develop a first-of-its-kind, “Harris County Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity.” This department’s job is to implement economic policies and initiatives focused on fair and equitable county contracting, workforce development, job placement, community benefit agreements, and worker’s rights. This department ensures that every measure, policy, or program approved by Commissioners Court is working to advance racial equity, not hinder it. [6] Commissioner Ellis also funded an in-depth disparity study to review the allocation of county spending (contracts, business) among Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs). Alarming results from the study found that MWBE’s only received 9.1% of total county business.[7]

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(Source: Harris County Precinct One)

Enough is enough.

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author.

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Racial Equity: Closing the Systemic Barriers