Racial Equity in Public Policy Message Guide

Conversations about race and racism are often treated with difficulty, discomfort and even fear or avoidance from allies and critics alike, especially when those conversations are with powerful decisionmakers. This guide offers communications strategies that advocates can use with decisionmakers to convey the importance of embedding equity in policy language. Best practices for policy writing include stating and addressing the root causes of inequities, prioritizing action in communities experiencing a history of structural racism, including stakeholders from disadvantaged in shaping and evaluating policies, and creating accountability through monitoring and/or evaluation