October 2020 - Parks & Recreation - 51

sary and possible to interrupt our
unconscious bias. Pairing implicit
bias training with institutional action leads to better results. There
are three approaches we use to interrupt unconscious bias organizationally: Re-priming, Removing the
Opportunity, and Stop and Think.
* Re-priming involves training, conversations and cultural shifts that
organizations adopt to increase
capacity in shifting away from racial bias in day-to-day operations.
* Removing the Opportunity involves creating policies or protocols that limit the opportunities
for individual subjective biases to
come into play.
* Stop and Think involves taking
proactive action by designing policies or protocols where considerations of racial equity are built
into the way decisions are made in
the organization, most frequently
by using a racial equity tool in
decision-making processes.
P&R: How is racial diversity
diﬀerent from racial equity?
Harris: Diversity, equity and inclusion are frequently confused or
conflated. Diversity is a measurement of representation. Inclusion
is a measurement of the quality of
experience of that representation.
And, equity is a measurement of
justice and power. The simplest
example I've heard is that if you
were to take a photo of everyone
in your organization, how representative the group is of your community would be a measurement
of diversity. How many people in
the photo are smiling would be a
measurement of your organization's inclusivity. And, who got to
decide when and how to take the
photo would be a measurement of
equity. The distinctions matter because each requires different inter-

ventions and strategies for success.
P&R: What are the key concepts
for building racial equity?
Harris: What is key is a deep and
sustained commitment to racial equity. Racial equity is both a process
and an outcome. How are we centering equity in our processes and
decisions and how are we measuring if our processes and decisions
are making a tangible difference in
the lives of people of color?
We use an organizational framework for implementing racial equity. The four key components are
visualize, normalize, organize and
operationalize. Visualize focuses
on identifying the shared values of
the organization that support racial
equity, along with a vision for a
racially equitable future organization. Normalize focuses on education and discussion on the core terminology of racial equity and our
historic understanding of race in
America for all staff and community. Organize focuses on finding
and supporting the core advocates
in the organization for racial equity. And, operationalize focuses on
implementing racial equity tools
and measuring impact and success.
P&R: How can parks and
recreation help build racial equity
within their communities?
Harris: Parks and recreation can
and does play a key role in building racial equity in communities. Green space and activity are
central components to a healthy,
thriving community. Key questions
include: Who has access to parks?
Who designs parks? Who decides
what programs and services will be
offered at parks? What dollars are
allocated to which parks?
Parks are essential public spaces,
and equitable use and design of

parks are a powerful exemplar of
multiracial democracy in practice.
It's that kind of practice that offers
hope to the nation.
P&R: What do you believe is
the key to addressing racial and
health inequities in underserved
communities?
Harris: There is no silver bullet for
addressing racial and health inequities. Systemic racism is baked
into all of our institutions, policies
and practices. But we can lean into
changing what we have the most
influence over, and we can play a
catalytic role in moving other organizations and institutions in the
same direction. And, we must remember that the answers lie within
the communities that are most impacted by inequity. We must listen,
take action and evaluate if our actions are having an impact for communities of color.
P&R: Are you optimistic that real
change is on the horizon?
Harris: I am always optimistic for
change. But as Martin Luther King
Jr. said, " Change does not roll in
on the wheels of inevitability, but
comes through continuous struggle. " I know that we at Race Forward are committed to taking action
in the struggle for racial equity. We
will not stop until we all live in the
kind of just, vital, multiracial democratic society that we all deserve.
Justice is our horizon line. We look
forward to walking alongside you
on this march to freedom.
Tune in to the October bonus episode
of Open Space Radio to hear more
from Glenn Harris at nrpa.org/
OctoberBonusEpisode.
Vitisia Paynich is Executive Editor, print and
online content at NRPA (vpaynich@nrpa.org).

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October 2020 - Parks & Recreation

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