Opportune Timing Racial Equity Policy Tools and Opportunities for the Minnesota Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity at Voices for Racial Justice

Abstract

This policy project outlines racial equity policy tools and explores opportunities for furthering the impact of the Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity produced by Voices for Racial Justice in Minnesota. Voices for Racial Justice is a Minneapolis nonprofit organization that began in 1993 as the Organizing Apprenticeship Project, working to train community organizers and catalyzing work for social and economic justice. In 2014, the organization shifted focus exclusively to the work of racial justice. The Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity began in 2005 as an opportunity to evaluate the work of the Minnesota State Legislature in terms of racial equity. It provides accountability, education, and a community resource. This report makes the case for assessing governance and policy through a racial equity lens, lays the framework for racial equity reporting, details the longstanding report card model at Voices for Racial Justice, and explores new opportunities for the report card. Outside of the scope of this project are explanations of and opportunities for federal and local level racial equity assessments, although they are addressed. It is my hope that this analysis will be useful in informing racial equity reporting in Minnesota, and can be an informational and inspirational guide for those working for racial justice nationwide.