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Public Policy

April 12, 2006

ARC’s Public Policy Program challenges the trend of so-called “Colorblind” policies being replicated in state houses across the nation. The program addresses institutionalized racial inequity by refocusing public debate and policymaking on equitable outcomes.

Our goal is to promote and develop pro-active racial justice policies and practices that can be replicated in other states. Through the Public Policy Program, ARC moves a policy agenda that embraces racial justice as a value that drives public discourse and policymaking, and produces outcomes that benefit everyone. Some of the program’s advocacy tools include:

The Racial Justice Legislative Report Cards are our flagship project for setting a racial justice standard in legislation. Applying our racial equity criteria to bills, the Report Card grades each legislator and the governors on their performance.
Public Policy Briefs are focused on key policy issues including universal health care, education and voting rights. The papers outline the racial dynamics at play, the impact of the policy and relevant data, institutional players, and advocacy strategies.
Racial Impact Analysis Tools provide advocates a means of assessing the likely impacts of a policy proposal in order to assess outcomes, minimize disparities and foster racial equity.

For more information on the Public Policy program, please contact our Oakland office.

Some of the publications from ARC's Public Policy Program:

California Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity 2005

The 2005 Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity evaluates and grades Governor Schwarzenegger and members of the Legislature on their responses to eighteen pieces of legislation that would have the most direct positive impact on communities of color. The report card is broken down into five issue areas: educational equity, economic justice, health equity, civil rights, and criminal justice.
Multimedia: Racial Justice in California
California's new majority is diverse and growing. By 2050, three in four Californian's will be a person of color. Download this short video to learn more about the changing demographics and political climate in California.

Reporting on Race, Education and No Child Left Behind: A Guide for Journalists
Get the tools needed to uncover the story behind the story - “the hidden dimension of race in President Bush's signature education policy.
Falling Through the Cracks: How California's Welfare Policy Keeps Families Poor
Investigative report documents the experiences of over thirty families in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Alameda counties.

Videos

Videos
Racial Profiling: It's Time to Face the Truth ColorLines' Seth Wessler talks foodstamps on Democracy Now!, 02/19/2010 "ColorLines: Race and Economic Recovery" Full Episode ARC + LINKTV Special Watch "ColorLines: Race and Economic Recovery," Only on LinkTV State of Whose Union?: Obama and Race at One Year

Racewire Blog

Racewire Blog
Death by Birth: Race and Maternal Mortality On December 14 2004, Tameka McFarquhar became a mother. On Christmas morning, the Jamaican-born 22-year-old was found dead in… Obama's No Child Left Behind: New Name, Same Sketchy Policies This past Saturday the Obama administration released its plan for the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, which is… NCAA Champions But College Dropouts? 80 Percent of Black B-Ball Athletes Won't Graduate (Photo: Kentucky—#2 ranked team in the NCAA Division I basketball tournament. Graduation rates for Black basketball student-athletes is 18%…

Death by Birth: Race and Maternal Mortality

On December 14 2004, Tameka McFarquhar became a mother. On Christmas morning, the Jamaican-born 22-year-old was found dead in…
Obama's No Child Left Behind: New Name, Same Sketchy Policies

This past Saturday the Obama administration released its plan for the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, which is…
NCAA Champions But College Dropouts? 80 Percent of Black B-Ball Athletes Won't Graduate

(Photo: Kentucky—#2 ranked team in the NCAA Division I basketball tournament. Graduation rates for Black basketball student-athletes is 18%…

ColorLines Features

ColorLines Features
Dont Stop Thinking about Tomorrow In his debut novel, Michael Jaime-Becerra paints a vivid picture of small town Latino life in America. Tex-Mex Express Despite Mexico’s bad press, one writer finds that the border spirit lives on. Read Full Article Selling Food Stamps for Kids Shoes Unable to find jobs, kicked off welfare, women in Connecticut are forced to sell food assistance to buy basic…

Dont Stop Thinking about Tomorrow

In his debut novel, Michael Jaime-Becerra paints a vivid picture of small town Latino life in America.

Tex-Mex Express

Despite Mexico’s bad press, one writer finds that the border spirit lives on.

Read Full Article
Selling Food Stamps for Kids Shoes

Unable to find jobs, kicked off welfare, women in Connecticut are forced to sell food assistance to buy basic…

Books & DVDs

Books & DVDs
The Accidental American The Accidental American is a book about the challenges and contradictions of U. S.… Changing the Race: Racial Politics and the Election of Barack Obama Edited by Linda Burnham, ARC has released an 86-page edited volume featuring 20 prominent thinkers… ColorLines magazine ColorLines has been the national newsmagazine on race and politics since 1998. We tell stories… We Are All Suspects Now We Are All Suspects Now reveals the human cost of the domestic… Colonize This! Colonize This! Young Women of Color on Today's Feminism is a collection of essays by… Language Is a Place of Struggle Language Is a Place of Struggle: Great Quotes by People of Color is…

The Accidental American

The Accidental American is a book about the challenges and contradictions of U. S.…
Changing the Race: Racial Politics and the Election of Barack Obama

Edited by Linda Burnham, ARC has released an 86-page edited volume featuring 20 prominent thinkers…
ColorLines magazine

ColorLines has been the national newsmagazine on race and politics since 1998. We tell stories…
We Are All Suspects Now

We Are All Suspects Now reveals the human cost of the domestic…
Colonize This!

Colonize This! Young Women of Color on Today's Feminism is a collection of essays by…
Language Is a Place of Struggle

Language Is a Place of Struggle: Great Quotes by People of Color is…

Economy & Green Jobs

Economy & Green Jobs
Green Equity Toolkit: Advancing Race, Gender and Economic Equity in the Green Economy ARC releases a Green Equity Toolkit: Standards and Strategies for Advancing Race, Gender and… Race and Recession Report This report tells the stories of people of color who are disproportionately affected by… ColorLines: Who Gains from the Green Economy? ColorLines' special edition on the green economy March/April 2008, features cover story "Who Gains from the…

Green Equity Toolkit: Advancing Race, Gender and Economic Equity in the Green Economy

ARC releases a Green Equity Toolkit: Standards and Strategies for Advancing Race, Gender and…
Race and Recession Report

This report tells the stories of people of color who are disproportionately affected by…
ColorLines: Who Gains from the Green Economy?

ColorLines' special edition on the green economy March/April 2008, features cover story "Who Gains from the…

Education

Education
Underprotected, Undersupported Just released April 2009! Report on low-income children at risk. Double standards in childcare… Vouchers: A Trap, Not A Choice California School Vouchers Will Increase Racial Inequality. by Tammy Johnson, Libero Della Piana and Phyllida Burlingamea. October, 2000. Executive Summary. Learning Curves Expanding the Constituency for Comprehensive Sexuality Education By Rinku Sen and Kim Fellner, commissioned by the Ms. Foundation for Women.…

Underprotected, Undersupported

Just released April 2009! Report on low-income children at risk. Double standards in childcare…
Vouchers: A Trap, Not A Choice

California School Vouchers Will Increase Racial Inequality. by Tammy Johnson, Libero Della Piana and Phyllida Burlingamea. October, 2000. Executive Summary.
Learning Curves

Expanding the Constituency for Comprehensive Sexuality Education
By Rinku Sen and Kim Fellner, commissioned by the Ms. Foundation for Women.…

Health

Health
Closing the Gap: Solutions to Race-Based Health Disparities, 2005 10 Key Recommendations for Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health. From Closing the Gap: Solutions to… Why Universal Health Care is a Women's Issue For millions of Californians, the issue of accessible quality health care is a matter of life or death. New Report Reveals Solutions that "Close the Gap" on Racial Disparity in Health Innovative Research Details Race-Based Health Inequality. Today, the Applied Research Center and Northwest Federation of Community Organizations released a new…

Closing the Gap: Solutions to Race-Based Health Disparities, 2005

10 Key Recommendations for Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health.
From Closing the Gap: Solutions to…

Why Universal Health Care is a Women's Issue

For millions of Californians, the issue of accessible quality health care is a matter of life or death.

New Report Reveals Solutions that "Close the Gap" on Racial Disparity in Health

Innovative Research Details Race-Based Health Inequality. Today, the Applied Research Center and Northwest Federation of Community Organizations released a new…

Immigration

Immigration
Reasserting Justice Toolkit Despite a surge in discrimination, the crisis for immigrant and refugee communities remains relatively invisible to the general public. Mapping the Immigrant Infrastructure Dramatic demographic changes in the U.S. population, evidenced by the 2000 census, have generated a lot of excitement about the… The New Culture War In the ongoing battle over immigration, conservative rhetoric continues to escalate. It's racist, and it gets results. Here, then, are…

Reasserting Justice Toolkit

Despite a surge in discrimination, the crisis for immigrant and refugee communities remains relatively invisible to the general public.
Mapping the Immigrant Infrastructure

Dramatic demographic changes in the U.S. population, evidenced by the 2000 census, have generated a lot of excitement about the…
The New Culture War

In the ongoing battle over immigration, conservative rhetoric continues to escalate. It's racist, and it gets results. Here, then, are…

Legislative Reportcards

Legislative Reportcards
Racing the Statehouse: Advancing Equitable Policies 2010 Racing the Statehouse Finds Solutions for Racial Inequity Available to States … CA Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity Facing Race: 2009 Legislative Report Card is a project of the Applied Research Center and… California 2007 Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity ARC's 2007 Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity, by Jarad Sanchez and Tammy Johnson.…

Racing the Statehouse: Advancing Equitable Policies 2010

Racing the Statehouse Finds Solutions for Racial Inequity Available to States
…
CA Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity

Facing Race: 2009 Legislative Report Card is a project of the Applied Research Center and…
California 2007 Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity

ARC's 2007 Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity, by Jarad Sanchez and Tammy Johnson.…

Model Policies

Model Policies
Targeting Resources for Communities of Color Affected by HIV/AIDS, New York City, 2001 Available as a PDF download here Giving Minimum Wage Coverage to Farmworkers house Bill 71, State of Idaho, 2001 Available as a PDF download here How Long Must We Wait? The Fight for Racial and Ethnic Equality un the American News Media Available as a PDF download here

Multi-racial Coalitions

Multi-racial Coalitions
Building Community Power for Better Schools An Evaluation of the Parent and Youth Education Policy Collaborative. Power, Participation, & State-Based Politics An Evaluation of the Ford Foundation's Collaborations that Count Initiative MultiRacial Formations This 116-page study presents general observations, key lessons, and recommendations on a range of multiracial models and experiences from a…

Building Community Power for Better Schools

An Evaluation of the Parent and Youth Education Policy Collaborative.
Power, Participation, & State-Based Politics

An Evaluation of the Ford Foundation's Collaborations that Count Initiative
MultiRacial Formations

This 116-page study presents general observations, key lessons, and recommendations on a range of multiracial models and experiences from a…

Philanthropy

Philanthropy
Catalytic Change Catalytic Change: Lessons Learned from the Racial Justice Grantmaking Assessment. The Applied Research Center (ARC)… Short Changed Foundation Giving and Communities of Color. By Will Pittz and Rinku Sen.

Poverty & Welfare

Poverty & Welfare
Poverty Fact Sheet: A Wide Gap Remains As part of ARC's "Check the ColorLine" series, this fact sheet provides a brief… From Poverty to Punishment How Welfare Reform Punishes the Poor. HOT OFF THE PRESS! Contributions by Leading Experts on Welfare Reform. Race and Recession: A Special Report Examining How Changes in the Economy Affect People of Color State Welfare Programs Violate The Law. New Study Illuminates Recession’s Impact on Workers of Color, Calls on Congress to End…

Poverty Fact Sheet: A Wide Gap Remains

As part of ARC's "Check the ColorLine" series, this fact sheet provides a brief…
From Poverty to Punishment

How Welfare Reform Punishes the Poor. HOT OFF THE PRESS! Contributions by Leading Experts on Welfare Reform.
Race and Recession: A Special Report Examining How Changes in the Economy Affect People of Color

State Welfare Programs Violate The Law. New Study Illuminates Recession’s Impact on Workers of Color, Calls on Congress to End…

Rights & Justice

Rights & Justice
The Public's Truth: Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties (2006) Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties. Community Testimony presented Saturday, May 10, 2003. The Public's Truth: Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties (2003) Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties. Community Testimony presented Saturday, May 10, 2003. Profiled & Punished How San Diego Schools Undermine Latino & African American Student Achievement. April 2002.

The Public's Truth: Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties (2006)

Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties. Community Testimony presented Saturday, May 10, 2003.
The Public's Truth: Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties (2003)

Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties. Community Testimony presented Saturday, May 10, 2003.
Profiled & Punished

How San Diego Schools Undermine Latino & African American Student Achievement. April 2002.

Take Action

Take Action
Feb 10: The New Jim Crow Book Signing Longtime civil rights advocate and litigator Michelle Alexander has come out with her first book,… Aug 15: Chevron Protest in Richmond, CA Saturday, August 15, 11:30 am Chevron Protest in Richmond, CA: Mobilize for Climate Justice!

Facing Race Conference

Facing Race Conference
Register Now for Facing Race Conference 2010 Sept. 23-25, 2010 McCormick Hyatt Chicago, IL

Tools

Tools
Racial Equity Impact Assessment Toolkit Download PDF of the full toolkit: Overview: what are Racial Equity impact assessments? A Racial Equity Impact Assessment… Racial Equity Impact Assessments for Economic Policies and Budgets Download PDF of the Toolkit: Economic policies and public spending and revenue decisions have enormous impacts—positive and negative—on… Race and Public Policy: A Dialogue [video]

Racial Equity Impact Assessment Toolkit

Download PDF of the full toolkit: Overview: what are Racial Equity impact assessments? A Racial Equity Impact Assessment…
Racial Equity Impact Assessments for Economic Policies and Budgets

Download PDF of the Toolkit: Economic policies and public spending and revenue decisions have enormous impacts—positive and negative—on…
Race and Public Policy: A Dialogue [video]

Training

Training
Racing to War Curriculum Racing to War is a three-part discussion series designed to help organizations examine the racial impact of the “war on… Gaining Perspectives Assessing our Options in the Aftermath of the September 11th Tragedy. A Curriculum from the Applied Research Center available as… Building Capacity for Changing Communities THE RACIAL JUSTICE LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE (RJLI) strengthens the capacity ofcommunity-based organizations,training intermedi- aries,and individual activists to engage in education and…

Racing to War Curriculum

Racing to War is a three-part discussion series designed to help organizations examine the racial impact of the “war on…
Gaining Perspectives

Assessing our Options in the Aftermath of the September 11th Tragedy. A Curriculum from the Applied Research Center available as…
Building Capacity for Changing Communities

THE RACIAL JUSTICE LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE (RJLI) strengthens the capacity ofcommunity-based organizations,training intermedi- aries,and individual activists to engage in education and…

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