How we talk about race matters more than ever.

Despite ongoing national conversations, people still lack a clear and consistent understanding of what racial equity and racial justice mean.

01 Learn

Where are we as a society?

Learn how people think and talk about racial equity and justice.

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02 Explore

What mindsets do people have?

Explore common mindsets that inform people's attitudes.

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03 Take Action

How do I begin?

Take guided action toward meaningful conversations.

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Are you familiar with the concept of racial equity?

Over the last two years, have issues of racial justice become more important, less important, or the same to you?

What words or phrases come closest to how you define 'equity'?

How often do you think about issues of racial justice?

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So where are we today?

In 2019 and again in 2022, we asked thousands of adults in the United States about racial equity and justice.

Learn more about the nationally representative surveys

Since 2019, people have become slightly more familiar with the concept of racial equity.

The number of people who said they were familiar with racial equity has increased by 7 percentage points since 2019.

2019
2022
7% Increase in Familiarity

People who said “yes” when asked if they were familiar with the concept of racial equity.

But they lack a consistent understanding of what equity actually means.

We define racial equity as when life outcomes can no longer be predicted by race or ethnicity. While this defines equity by its outcomes, many respondents defined racial equity by concepts, such as opportunity, that speak only to access, not outcomes.

What comes to mind when you think about the word “equity”?

Still, a majority of people find issues of racial equity more important today than 2019.

In the survey, 56 percent of people reported that issues of racial equity have become more important to them personally.

More Important
56%
Stayed about the same
32%
Less Important
7%
Not Sure
5%

People reported how the importance of racial equity issues have changed.

People were more familiar with the concept of racial justice.

We define racial justice as when policies, practices, systems, and other causes of unjust outcomes for people of color are eliminated.

Respondents offered relatively consistent, straightforward, and tangible descriptions of justice when asked about their top-of-mind associations. Three in four said they were familiar with the concept of racial justice.

What comes to mind when you think about the word “justice”?

Despite their differences, people generally associate racial equity and racial justice with similar ideas.

Most respondents defined both equity and justice as equality and fairness. Frontline Activists, audiences familiar with the concepts and who believe they are very important, offered a more nuanced understanding of the concepts.

What three words or phrases come closest to how you define:

Equal Opportunity
57%
Fairness
45%
Equality
45%
Equal Access
38%
Equal Outcomes
27%
Justice
23%
Anti-Racism
16%
Inclusion
16%

People selected the ideas that, to them, most related to equity.

Fairness
55%
Equality
45%
Equal Opportunity
43%
Righting Wrongs
31%
Equal Access
28%
Equal Outcomes
26%
Anti-Racism
19%
Equity
18%

People selected the ideas that, to them, most related to justice.

The ways we talk about racial equity and racial justice matter. By saying what we mean in plain language, we can paint a clearer vision of a world that's fair and just for everyone.