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Racial Equity

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RAND research has addressed racial equity from several angles. Studies have explored such topics as disparities in the U.S. criminal justice system, unequal economic opportunities and barriers to employment for people of color, the achievement gap between minority and nonminority students, and how differences in access to quality health care can affect individual and community health and well-being.

Essay
What Would It Take to Close America's Black-White Wealth Gap?
White Americans hold ten times more total wealth than Black Americans, a disparity that has worsened in recent decades. RAND researchers modeled wealth across millions of households and tested several funding scenarios to see which could most effectively close the gap.
May 9, 2023
Commentary
Reducing Racial Disparities in VA Disability Compensation Decisions
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough recently announced formation of an equity team to examine and address racial differences in disability compensation grant rates. This is encouraging progress, particularly after years of reluctance on the part of the department to acknowledge there might be a problem.
Mar 13, 2023

Explore Racial Equity

Commentary
How Have Communities Been Faring During COVID-19? And How Will Lessons Learned Inform Future Response and Planning?
As the United States emerges from the devastation of the pandemic, it may be time to examine the choices communities made during the last year to see how these approaches shape continued COVID-19 response and recovery and help build resilience for future pandemic response.
Aug 11, 2021
Blog
Media Literacy, Internet of Bodies, Arctic Governance: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on teaching media literacy in schools, a “connected future” via the Internet of Bodies, gaps in Arctic governance, and more.
Aug 6, 2021
Research Brief
Removing Barriers to Vaccination for Black Americans
To improve Black Americans' confidence in COVID-19 vaccines, health care organizations and the public health system need to become more trustworthy. Honesty about historical and ongoing discrimination and working with communities to provide equitable, accessible care could help.
Aug 6, 2021
Report
Promoting Equity in Entrepreneurship Could Lift U.S. Economy
Entrepreneurial support for women and racial and ethnic minorities has the potential to improve wealth accumulation among these groups. It could also revitalize communities where minority business owners are located and boost economic growth by unlocking the talent of would-be entrepreneurs.
Aug 3, 2021
Commentary
Equitable Data Analysis: Lessons from a COVID-19 Research Collaborative
The health inequities exposed by COVID-19 underscored the importance of collecting race-stratified data to inform local policymakers. For the public health researchers trying to provide that, the pandemic also revealed some major pitfalls, especially about relying on open-source data.
Jul 27, 2021
Tool
Vulnerability, Inequity, and COVID-19: A Portrait of the Pandemic in Allegheny County
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities. This interactive tool shows how rates of testing, cases, and deaths, and the ability to practice social distancing, has differed across neighborhoods and populations in Allegheny County.
Jul 19, 2021
Journal Article
Cannabis Legalization and Social Equity: Some Opportunities, Puzzles, and Trade-Offs
Legalization for nonmedical purposes may create new sources of disproportionate harm even as it alleviates some inequities associated with cannabis prohibition.
Jul 16, 2021
Report
Assessing Racial Equity in Disaster Preparation, Response, and Recovery
Disasters have the potential to exacerbate preexisting racial inequities. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency have made commitments to reduce social inequities, but frameworks, indicators, and metrics are needed for tracking progress toward equity goals.
Jul 15, 2021
Journal Article
COVID-19 Community Response: Emerging Themes Across Sentinel Communities
Since the onset of COVID-19, RAND researchers contributed to four reports on the impact and response in nine communities (Finney Co., Harris Co., Milwaukee, Mobile, San Juan Co., Sanilac Co., Tacoma, Tampa, and White Plains) and four cross-community reports.
Jul 14, 2021
Blog
Equity in Research, North Korean Instability, Traffic Stops: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how RAND applies an equity lens to research, instability in North Korea, what police think about traffic stops, and more.
Jul 9, 2021
Essay
How RAND Applies an Equity Lens to Research and Analysis
RAND recognizes that serving the public good requires tackling the factors that contribute to inequities head-on. Current projects focus on such issues as environmental racism, mass incarceration, and anti-Asian violence.
Jul 7, 2021
Periodical
RAND Review: July-August 2021
One feature highlights how researchers apply an equity lens to projects on environmental racism, incarcerated parents, and the lives of Black service members; a second describes interventions to address disparities in infant mortality rates.
Jul 1, 2021
Journal Article
Rental Eviction and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Averting a Looming Crisis
This report recommends that the Executive Office of the President of the United States should consider establishing a task force to prevent rental evictions and mitigate housing instability caused by the pandemic.
Jun 29, 2021
Blog
Stress Among U.S. Teachers, Russia's Global Interests, Investing in Equity: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on job-related stress among U.S. public school teachers, Russia's global interests, promoting social equity through infrastructure investments, and more.
Jun 18, 2021
Commentary
Promoting Social Equity in Infrastructure Planning and Delivery
The American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan propose to address racial inequities through significant infrastructure, workforce, education, and child care investments. Multiple barriers may need to be addressed for the funds to reach their intended destination.
Jun 17, 2021
Report
Adapting to Adversity amid a Global Pandemic: Stakeholder Insights About Progress and Next Steps for Taking Integrative Action to Build Resilient Systems
In 2020, the global pandemic and ongoing chronic stressors caused multiple shocks in the United States. The authors describe recommendations to advance an integrative resilience research and practice agenda based on recent stakeholder experiences.
Jun 11, 2021
Journal Article
Is Public Health's Multisectoral Mission Achieving Its Promise in the United States?
This chapter examines the progress and limitations of public health's current approach to cross-sector collaboration and offers insights about paths forward.
Jun 8, 2021
Blog
Reopening the U.S. Economy, Geoengineering, 5G: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the potential effects of reopening the economy before the White House's vaccination goal is met, students' learning experiences during the pandemic, competition in the 5G era, and more.
May 28, 2021
Journal Article
Developing Health Equity Measures
This work identified existing approaches to health equity measurement and evaluated those approaches using input from an expert panel.
May 21, 2021
Commentary
The Biden Administration's Chance to Improve SNAP and Nutrition Support
If policymakers were to make permanent the relaxed rules forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, it could be a start to increased racial equity in SNAP. Given broad public support for SNAP, making benefits easier to access, particularly for those already eligible, could be a bipartisan priority.
May 19, 2021

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Researcher Spotlight

Devon Hill

Senior Defense Analyst

Devon Hill is a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation, currently based in Seattle, WA. He has experience working across RAND's FFRDCs with a particular interest in military personnel policy, defense acquisition, and talent management and diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. He is…
Sarah Angell

Research Assistant

Sarah Angell (she/her) is a research assistant focusing on home affairs and social policy at RAND Europe. She is currently working on projects in the areas of education, women's financial independence and criminal justice. Her research interests include employment, gender, public benefits and…

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