Racial equity is a term used to describe the goal of treating people of all races and ethnicities in an equal and fair manner. It is a process of eliminating racial disparities and improving outcomes for everyone by changing policies, practices, systems, and structures that prioritize measurable change in the lives of people of color. Racial equity is achieved when race no longer determines ones socioeconomic outcomes, and everyone has what they need to thrive, no matter where they live or how they identify.

Key terms and concepts related to racial equity include:

• Equality: This refers to ensuring that everyone gets the same things to enjoy full, healthy lives. Equality aims to promote fairness and justice, but it can only work if everyone starts from the same place and needs the same things.

• Equity: This refers to trying to understand and give people what they need to enjoy full, healthy lives. Equity is synonymous with fairness and justice, and it needs to be thought of as a structural and systemic concept to achieve and sustain it.

• Disparity: This refers to a measurable difference in outcomes for populations.

• Diversity: This refers to the range of human differences, including race and ethnicity, gender identity, age, socio-economic status, and more.

• Racial justice: This refers to the systematic fair treatment of people of all races that results in equitable opportunities and outcomes for everyone. It is the condition when racial identity cannot be used to predict individual or group outcomes, and outcomes for all groups are improved.

• Bias: This refers to prejudgment toward one group and its members relative to another group.

• BIPOC: This refers to Black and Indigenous people of color.

• Equity tool: This refers to a decision-making model used to integrate equitable considerations into policies, processes, procedures, and practices.

• Equity lens: This refers to screening questions that assess the impact of proposed changes from the viewpoint of equity.

In summary, racial equity is about applying justice and common sense to a system that has been out of balance, where people of color feel the impacts most acutely. It is a process of eliminating racial disparities and improving outcomes for everyone by changing policies, practices, systems, and structures that prioritize measurable change in the lives of people of color.