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Foundations
What is racial equity?
Racial equity is the condition where race no longer predicts life outcomes such as health, wealth, education, or safety. It means removing barriers created by racism and ensuring that everyone — regardless of race or zip code — has access to opportunities, resources, and support to thrive.
What is systemic racism?
Systemic racism refers to the policies, practices, and cultural norms that create and maintain racial inequities across institutions such as education, housing, healthcare, employment, and the justice system. Unlike individual prejudice, systemic racism is embedded in laws and structures, making inequity the default unless deliberate action is taken to change it.
What is white privilege?
White privilege doesn’t mean that every white person has had an easy life — it means that the color of their skin hasn’t created additional barriers. Privilege can look like being more likely to be hired for a job, find affordable housing, or receive fair treatment in the justice system. Recognizing privilege is the first step toward using it to create more equitable outcomes for all.
Disparities & Data
What is the racial wealth gap?
The racial wealth gap is the difference in wealth between racial groups, caused largely by centuries of discriminatory policies in housing, education, employment, and lending. For example, white families in the U.S. hold nearly 10 times more wealth on average than Black families. This gap affects economic mobility, homeownership, and generational opportunity.
What are some racial disparities in Louisville?
Louisville reflects many of the same inequities seen nationwide, but with some unique local patterns. These disparities are not the result of individual choices — they stem from policies and systems that disadvantage communities of color.
Quick Facts
Income
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- Since 1980, the top 10% of Louisville households have seen incomes rise by 32%, while the lowest 10% — where many Black households fall — have grown only 20%.
Homeownership & Housing
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- More than 75% of Louisville’s Black population lives on less than 5% of the city’s land.
- Black homeownership in Louisville is just 36%, compared to 71% for white households.
- 30% of Black households earn less than $25,000 annually. Louisville is short more than 31,000 affordable housing units.
- During COVID-19, 57.6% of Black Kentucky renters reported little to no confidence they could pay rent, compared to 26.1% of all renters statewide.
Justice & Incarceration
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- Black youth make up 30% of Jefferson County’s under-17 population, yet 77% of children detained at the Youth Detention Center are Black.
- Youth in the juvenile justice system are at a much higher risk for suicide attempts.
- Though only 8% of Kentucky’s population, Black adults represent 22% of the state’s prison population.
Historical Context
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- The “War on Drugs” disproportionately criminalized Black communities, fueling mass incarceration and stigmatizing urban neighborhoods. By contrast, the opioid epidemic has often been framed as a public health crisis, reflecting racialized narratives in policy response.
Solutions & Actions
What does “re-investing in community resources while maintaining public safety” mean?
When people talk about “re-investing in community resources,” they are pointing to the idea that strong, safe communities are built by more than just policing. The concept emphasizes shifting some resources toward programs that address the root causes of violence and inequity—such as quality education, affordable housing, access to healthcare, mental health services, job training, and youth development opportunities.
This approach does not mean eliminating law enforcement or ignoring public safety. It means maintaining effective, accountable public safety systems while also funding the supports that prevent harm in the first place. Communities that have stable housing, strong schools, accessible healthcare, and pathways to good jobs tend to experience less crime and greater well-being overall.
By balancing investments in both safety and prevention, the goal is to build healthier neighborhoods where everyone can thrive.
How can individuals take meaningful action to advance racial equity locally?
Advancing racial equity is not only the work of organizations and policymakers — individuals play a vital role. Here are some ways community members can take action:
- Learn and reflect: Participate in programs like Metro United Way’s Racial Wealth Gap Simulation to better understand history, systemic barriers, and lived experiences. Learn more and sign up here.
- Support equity-focused organizations: Volunteer your time, donate to Black-led nonprofits, and amplify their work.
- Engage civically: Advocate for policies that expand access to quality education, affordable housing, and healthcare. Attend local meetings and make your voice heard.
- Build relationships: Listen to and learn from people with different life experiences. Being intentional about who you engage with helps broaden understanding and reduce division.
- Act where you are: In your workplace, school, or neighborhood, speak up about fairness, create opportunities for inclusion, and challenge harmful practices.
Each step builds momentum. Change happens when individuals join together to shift culture, systems, and opportunities in the community.
How do we measure progress in racial equity?
Racial equity is about ensuring outcomes are not predictable by race or zip code. Progress can be measured in several ways:
- Economic outcomes: Narrowing the racial wealth gap and increasing rates of Black homeownership, business ownership, and income.
- Education: Improvements in graduation rates, school readiness, and equitable access to high-quality learning for all children.
- Health and well-being: Closing gaps in life expectancy, maternal health, and access to mental and physical healthcare.
- Justice and safety: Reducing racial disparities in policing, incarceration, and youth involvement in the justice system.
- Neighborhood opportunity: Measuring stability, affordability, and community assets in historically under-resourced areas.
Metro United Way tracks progress through tools like our Impact Tracker and ongoing equity initiatives. Measuring data over time helps us understand where barriers remain and where investments are making a difference. Explore the Impact Tracker here.
Allies & Metro United Way’s Role
What does it mean to be an ally?
Being an ally means actively working to challenge racism and support equity, even when it doesn’t directly affect you. Allies listen, learn, and use their privilege and resources to advocate for systemic change. Importantly, being an ally is not about speaking for others but about standing alongside them and helping amplify their voices.
What is Metro United Way doing to advance racial equity?
Metro United Way is committed to advancing racial equity across all areas of our work. This includes:
- Hosting the Racial Wealth Gap Simulation to build community understanding. Learn more and sign up here.
- Supporting Black-led and equity-focused nonprofits through initiatives like the Black L.O.V.E. Philanthropic Partnership.
- Investing in neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by inequity through United Neighborhoods.
- Equipping young people of color with opportunities and mentorship through Young Men United.
- Ensuring equity is embedded in internal practices and culture through our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council.
- Learn more about our Equity initiatives.
Our goal is to build a region where outcomes are not determined by race or zip code, and where every person has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Responding to Common Rebuttals About Anti-Racism
“White privilege isn’t real.”
White privilege doesn’t mean every white person is wealthy or without struggle. It means your skin color hasn’t been a barrier. In America, being white is often treated as the “default,” and white people frequently receive the benefit of the doubt in ways people of color do not.
“What about Black-on-Black crime?”
Crime is tied to poverty and lack of opportunity, not race. In neighborhoods with similar income levels, crime rates are similar regardless of race. Because of systemic racism, Black communities have faced higher levels of economic disadvantage,
which shapes these outcomes.
“I can’t support rioting and looting.”
The overwhelming majority of protests are peaceful. At times, peaceful protests have been met with tear gas, rubber bullets, and mass arrests — escalating tensions. Some take advantage of the chaos for looting, but focusing only on property loss ignores the far greater issue: the repeated loss of Black lives.
“If they just followed the law, they’d be fine.”
Even if a crime is committed, it doesn’t justify a death sentence without trial. Innocent people have been killed simply for “fitting a description.” Everyone deserves due process under the law.
“Black people commit more crime.”
This is a myth reinforced by over-policing. Black neighborhoods often face heavier surveillance and more police contact, which leads to more arrests being recorded. Poverty and inequality drive crime rates — not race.
“Many of the people killed had criminal histories.”
A past record is irrelevant in the moment of an arrest. The role of police is not to serve as judge, jury, and executioner. Excessive force and killings cannot be excused by someone’s history.
“It’s just a few bad apples.”
The issue is systemic. Individual officers who commit violence often face little accountability because of how policing is structured. Reform must address the system, not just individuals.
“Don’t blame me, I never owned slaves.”
This isn’t about personal blame. It’s about recognizing that today’s inequities are the result of centuries of policies that advantaged some while disadvantaging others. We all share responsibility to work toward a fairer society.
“More white people are killed by police than Black people.”
Yes, in total numbers — because the white population is much larger. But proportionally, Black people are killed at four times the rate of white people.
“White people have been oppressed too.”
People may experience oppression based on class, gender, or sexuality, but that is different from racial oppression. Today’s conversation is specifically about systemic racism and its impacts.
“Blue Lives Matter.”
Being a police officer is a profession; being Black is an identity you cannot remove. Officers can take off the uniform at the end of the day — Black people cannot stop experiencing racism.
“All Lives Matter.”
All lives cannot matter until Black lives do. Saying “Black Lives Matter” doesn’t mean they matter more — it means they matter equally, which history has repeatedly denied.
“Why isn’t there a White History Month?”
White history has always been centered — in schools, media, and culture. Black history was excluded for centuries, which is why Black History Month exists: to highlight contributions that were ignored.
“I don’t see color.”
This statement dismisses both the beauty of racial identity and the realities of racial inequity. To “not see color” is to ignore the structural barriers that exist — and the experiences of people who live them daily.
“I’m not racist — I have Black friends.”
Personal relationships don’t automatically erase racist ideas or behaviors. Systemic racism still exists regardless of your friend group. True allyship requires action, not just association.
“Why do we have to make everything about race?”
Because race already shapes outcomes. White people often don’t have to think about their race — Black people do, every day. Naming race is necessary to address inequities that otherwise go unseen.
“Immigrants face challenges too — why focus so much on Black people?”
It’s true that many immigrant communities experience discrimination and barriers. Those struggles matter, and we must work toward fairness for all. What makes the Black experience unique is that systemic racism has been built into U.S. policies for over 400 years — from slavery to Jim Crow to redlining and mass incarceration. Addressing anti-Black racism helps create systems that are fairer for everyone, including immigrants.
“Why are Metro United Way and others talking about equity so much?”
Because lasting change requires shifting from short-term charity to long-term transformation. Equity means tackling the root causes of injustice, investing in communities most affected, and changing policies that create disparities.
Learn more and get involved: Metro United Way Diversity, Equity & Inclusion