Racial Equity Truthtellers: 'Equity is the superior growth model'
Angela Glover Blackwell has been in the business of social change for over 50 years.
A career that started as a public interest lawyer weaved its way through Blackwell’s creation of the Urban Strategies Council and into philanthropy as a senior vice president for the Rockefeller Foundation before settling into another organization of Blackwell’s own in 1999: PolicyLink.
“The mission of PolicyLink is to advance racial and economic equity by lifting up what works,” Blackwell said. Since the organization’s onset, it has held up in its work a definition of equity that focuses on outcomes rather than inputs, which in turn changes the conversation around what is needed to effect change.
For example, Blackwell said, a Black child who is part of a low-income family in a community with traditionally under-funded schools will need more investment than a white child in an affluent family and community.
“The other thing that we focused on is there's so much wisdom in communities,” Blackwell said. “In communities of color that are working for change, and yet that wisdom often does not inform policy. So our tagline was always lifting up what works, which refers to lifting up the wisdom, voice and experience of those who are working in their communities for change and inclusion, so that begins to drive the policy work.”
Shifting demographics in the United States
Blackwell points to shifting demographics in the United States as a key reason why advancing racial and economic equity should be priorities now. She said the shift has happened surprisingly fast, particularly among the younger population.
“We are rapidly becoming a nation in which people of color were going to be the majority, and because of that, the fate of the nation is dependent on what happens to people of color,” she said.
Blackwell and others at PolicyLink authored a paper on the topic, asserting that equity was a superior economic growth model for the nation to recover from recession. This led to the creation of the National Equity Atlas, which demonstrates where the demographic shift is happening and aggregates data on 32 economic indicators.
Angela Glover Blackwell (photo courtesy of PolicyLink)
“The punchline is how much better off the gross domestic product (GDP) would be without discrimination in employment,” Blackwell said. “We found that, in 2015, the GDP would have been $2.5 trillion higher without the impact of race on employment, which is not to say everybody's making the same thing but the bell curve does not have a racial difference.”
Blackwell said she has seen a shift in the narrative around race during and through her work with PolicyLink. She sees the current political climate in the United States as part of the end game for those who would continue to discriminate based on race.
“The people who are acting so hateful right now are part of the past, and this is their last gasp, but the last gasp can be long and shrill and dangerous, and that's exactly what we're seeing,” she said. “The people who are trying to still be nostalgic for a time that never was while ignoring the future that is inevitable are not part of the story of tomorrow of this nation, but they are definitely keeping us from being able to move to tomorrow and stand on aspirants and assets.”
The important thing, Blackwell said, is to continue looking forward and understanding that the social capital, innovation, resources and leadership that are needed to step toward a positive future already exist.
“And so the main problem now is to be able to figure out how to fight the destructive forces, how to unite the people who want to go forward and how to use that solidarity to be able to make some leaps,” she said. “The diversity of this nation is an asset to get people to, so let's have a different conversation: It's not a problem, it's an asset. How do we tap that asset? We have to understand that what's good for people of color is good for America and that equity is the superior growth model.”
Philanthropy must lead with racial equity to succeed
Blackwell said people of color and white people alike have opportunities to drive philanthropy in the right direction.
For members of groups that are traditionally underserved and underrepresented in the sector, she said being clear on their purpose will power them through some of the rough patches they will face in a predominantly white field.
“The reason to be in philanthropy is to make sure that the resources align with the agenda for change in the most profound transformative ways,” she said. “Once you're clear about why you're there, the pushback, the discrimination, the isolation, the marginalization that happens to people in predominantly white institutions, you understand that this isn't about getting your feelings hurt, this is about moving your agenda. And you can't move your agenda if you're not effective.
“And so, in thinking about how to be effective, who are your allies? What are your goals? What is your strategy for this institution? What is your timeline? What is your measure?”
This type of strategic thinking allows people of color in philanthropy to work “in the context of having power and influence with [their] colleagues.” While they still may face misinterpretation or outright dismissal of their ideas or priorities, they can build alliances and overcome feelings of despair or loneliness.
“Be clear, be persistent, hold yourself to effectiveness, and be willing to step away if this is not an institution that is worthy of your gifts,” she said. “These are all things that serve men and women of color well in places where they’re likely to be marginalized.”
As for white people seeking to prioritize racial equity in philanthropy, Blackwell encourages them to adopt the curb-cut effect — the notion that “when you focus on the most vulnerable with nuance and specificity, and you are successful, everybody benefits.”
“White people need to adopt the curb-cut effect, they need to adopt the racial equity lens, not as charity, not as trying to support your black or Latinx colleagues, but because it's the only way to be effective in philanthropy,” Blackwell said “It’s the only way to be able to solve the problem and not have to keep returning to it again and again and again.
“White people must lead in solidarity with people of color who have a stake and have knowledge that is needed in order to make these things authentic, respecting the leadership and wisdom of people of color as they work together to pursue a racial equity agenda.”