In the United States, not all people have always received fair treatment. The country’s history is a record of frequent unfair treatment, particularly of families of color or families whose race is not white, resulting in racial inequities in every system and institution.^[6]

What is racial equity?

Racial equity focuses on fair treatment for communities affected by historical disadvantages due to their race. It acknowledges that racism toward people of color remains systemic and institutionalized. It also recognizes that racism affects people across all other identities, including different economic backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, geographic locations, and more.

What is intersectionality?

Humans self-identify in countless ways — their gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ability, age, religion, and other identities. And we can claim more than one identity at a time (e.g., Black, woman, and Muslim). This concept of embracing multiple identities is called intersectionality. People who claim more than one of these identities, however, may experience discrimination and unfair treatment that can then be multiplied by each point of identity. A Muslim Black woman, for example, could experience discrimination based on race, gender, and religion.

Disrupting Inequities and Rebuilding Systems

Focusing on race offers the best approach to disrupting inequities and rebuilding systems to make them just. Equity work is important because living in a just society is good for all children and families — while ensuring that families of color are not left behind.^[7]

Why do we focus on race?

Intersectionality reminds us to think about inequities for many identities. Given how racism is embedded in every system and institution in the United States,^[8] it is important to start addressing racial inequities. This focus on racial equity does not take away from the discrimination that other groups have experienced. Research shows that even within other identities (e.g., income level, education level, citizenship, and others), inequities by race persist.^[9]

Bringing a lens of racial equity to PFCE helps us improve child and family outcomes. This lens means that we consider race, context, and additional intersecting identities (e.g., historical context, economic background, Indigenous or tribal identities, gender identity) in every engagement with a family.

This lens may also challenge us to change how we work with families. For example, we may challenge our own racial and cultural biases in how we honor a family’s beliefs about child development and goals for their children. Or we may be more intentional about sharing and shifting power. This way, parents from historically underrepresented groups can have a stronger voice in decisions about their child’s development.

Equitable PFCE that focuses on race includes:

• Honoring diversity among children and families by supporting their unique strengths, needs, and circumstances
• Providing individualized support to help families and children make progress on their self-identified goals
• Acknowledging, taking responsibility for, and changing the systemic and structural barriers that stop people from being able to reach their full potential
• Partnering with parents, families, and communities — specifically those affected by racial inequities — to truly engage them in the change process

Remember, our approach starts with racial equity. But it also acknowledges how gender, age, economic background, culture, religion, and many other characteristics are important considerations in fostering equitable engagement with families and communities.

Culture is defined as “patterns of beliefs, practices, and traditions associated with a particular group of people. Individuals both learn from and contribute to the culture of the groups to which they belong. Cultures evolve over time, reflecting the lived experiences of their members in particular times and places.”^[9]

Last Updated: July 25, 2024