What is race? What is racism? How do these concepts influence people’s perceptions of themselves and others? How has racism impacted the implementation of policies and procedures across our socio-economic systems?
This three-part training session explores these and other questions to understand the ways racism impacts socio-economic systems. Participants will learn about the origins of racism and engage in discussions about its four levels: internalized (within individuals), interpersonal (between individuals), institutional (within institutions), and structural (across institutions and society). They will review examples of each and evaluate how the practices of specific institutions – child welfare, education and criminal justice, to name a few – perpetuate disparate outcomes for impacted populations. Participants will also go on a historical journey from slavery and segregation to the violence, mass incarceration and voter suppression, to understand how internalized, interpersonal and institutional racism combine to create power structures that advantage some, while disadvantaging all others.
Through this historical perspective, participants will be challenged to evaluate the racist policies and practices that persist in their fields of work, and to start discussions about dismantling systems of oppression so that equity, inclusion and justice can prevail.