RESOURCES
RSJI resources
Race: the Power of an Illusion – Background Readings
From: "Race: The Power of an Illusion," produced by California Newsreel, in association with the Independent Television Service (ITVS) including:
- "Ten Things Everyone Should Know about Race"
Genetics, human variation, evolution, scientific classification and more
Slavery, the origins of race, ancient views of difference, 19th century race science, and more
Law, immigration, housing, the wealth gap, census, racial classification and more
(See more at the Race: the Power of an Illusion web site)
Recent articles:
- Julie Nelson and Michael Nguyen guest editorial: Addressing racial disparity in Seattle school discipline
- Leonard Pitts' recent editorial about Supreme Court Justice Scalia’s calling the Voting Rights Act a "racial entitlement"
- Jerry Large's editorial about Rosa Parks, justice and equality
- The Department of Education investigation of disproportionate discipline in public schools
City of Seattle Information
City of Seattle Race and Social Justice Initiative
The City’s Race and Social Justice Initiative is led by the Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR). For more information, please contact Elliott Bronstein at 206-684-4507, elliott.bronstein@seattle.gov.
- RSJI Three Year Plan 2012-2014 – An assessment of RSJI’s last three years, and a description of the Initiative’s three-year plan.
- Race and Social Justice Initiative Summary – A two-page overview of the Race and Social Justice Initiative.
- RSJI Our Approach – A summary of the Initiative’s goals and strategies, along with a capsule history.
- Report 2008: Looking Back, Moving Forward (full-length report)
- 2008 RSJI Overview (executive summary)
- RSJI E-news and Archive
What We Teach
RSJI Training and Education – A description of the training and education available to Seattle City employees.
Training overview: Race: the Power of an Illusion – eight-hour training for City of Seattle employees.
Structural Racism:
- Defining racism – definitions of personal, institutional and structural racism.
- Dropped out / Pushed Out exercise – a training exercise to recognize different forms of racism.
- Seattle Disparities 2011 – Does racism play a factor in the quality of life and access to opportunities and services in Seattle?
- Why Lead with Race? – An explanation for RSJI’s focus on race, and its relationship to other forms of inequity.
Infrastructure
RSJI Organization Chart – a chart that shows the connections of RSJI within Seattle City government.
City Council Resolution: November 30, 2009 – Seattle City Council’s resolution of support for RSJI.
RSJ Community Roundtable
Population and Demographics
- City of Seattle Seattle’s Population and Demographics at a Glance. Website updated by the City Demographer.
- Seattle's Population & Demographics Related Links & Resources. (From DPD website.)
- The Greater Seattle Datasheet: A Seattle fact sheet courtesy of the City of Seattle's Office of Intergovernmental Relations.
- Seattle Maps: Demographics - General demographic information.
Seattle history
- The Seattle Open Housing Campaign, 1959-1968 – From the Seattle Municipal Archives Digital Document Library.
- Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project – University of Washington
- HistoryLink.org – Free online encyclopedia of Washington State history.
Other online resources from around the country
- Applied Research Center
- Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training
- Kirwan Institute
- The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond
- Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity
- Race: The Power of An Illusion - PBS
- Racial Equity Tools
- Western States Center
Technical Assistance Tools
- Lessons Learned: How Communities are Addressing Racial Inequities – Executive Summary of a report by Maggie Potapchuk, MP Associates, in consultation with the Aspen Institute Roundtable for Community Change and the National League of Cities Institute.
- Dismantling Racism: a resource book for social change groups – This excellent resource from Western States Center contains a wealth of analysis, definitions and shared language, and strategies for implementing a race and social justice agenda.
Race and Social Justice Trainer Selection Criteria Tool – Information from The Aspen Institute, Queenstown Maryland.
Key RSJI Docs in PDF
Upcoming Events
A workshop on achieving racial equity in school discipline.Saturday, June 1
9:00 AM -12:00 PM
more
Join Us!
Video
RSJI: Working for Racial Equity
in City Government
A video highlighting the work of the Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) featuring the voices of RSJ Community Roundtable members, Mayor Mike McGinn, City employees and RSJI staff on why the work to eliminate racial disparities is critical and how we are working together as government and community to achieve racial equity.
RSJI Information in Translation/English:
| Amharic | Cambodian |
| Chinese | Korean |
| Oromo | Somali |
| Spanish | Tagalog |
| Tigrigna | Vietnamese |
Other RSJI Documents
- Mayor's Executive Order 4/23/10: Outreach to Women and Minority Owned Businesses Mayor McGinn issued Executive Order 2010-5 on April 23, 2010 concerning outreach to women and minority businesses. The Order strengthens the City's commitment utilize women and minority owned businesses, and outlines steps for departments to ensure Citywide accountability.
- City Council Resolution Directing Race and Social Justice Work to Continue
- Full text of the Council's Resolution #31164
- Report 2008: Looking Back, Moving Forward [long report]
- 2008 RSJI Overview (executive summary)
In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race. There is no other way. 