Diversity: Psychological, physical, and social differences that occur among any and all individuals, such as race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, economic class, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental and physical ability, and learning styles. Diverse groups, communities or organizations contain a variety of social and cultural characteristics. However, diversity does not address the systematic and institutional deprivation of material or social resources experienced by groups participating in diversity programs.
Equity: Fairness and justice, especially pertaining to rights and protection under the law. Equity on any given dimension (such as race) also means that this dimension can no longer be used to predict life outcomes, while outcomes for all groups are improved. There are three forms of equity to consider in local government service delivery:
- Distributional equity (fair and just distribution of benefits and burdens to all affected parties and communities across the community and organizational landscape)
- Process equity (inclusive, open, and fair access by all stakeholders to decision processes that impact community and operational outcomes)
- Cross-generational equity (effects of current actions on the fair and just distribution of benefits and burdens to future generations of communities and employees).
Inclusion: The act of creating environments in which any individual or group can feel welcomed, respected, and fully participate. An inclusive and welcoming climate embraces differences and offers respect in words and actions for all people.
Institutional racism: Institutional racism refers to the policies and practices within and across institutions that, intentionally or not, produce outcomes that chronically favor, or put a racial group at a disadvantage. Poignant examples of institutional racism can be found in school disciplinary policies in which students of color are punished at much higher rates that their white counterparts, in the criminal justice system, and within many employment sectors in which day-to-day operations, as well as hiring and firing practices can significantly disadvantage workers of color.
Interpersonal/individual racism: Individual racism can include face-to-face or covert actions toward a person that intentionally express prejudice, hate or bias based on race.
Structural/systemic racism: A system in which public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and other norms work in various, often reinforcing ways to perpetuate racial group inequity. It identifies dimensions of our history and culture that have allowed privileges associated with “whiteness” and disadvantages associated with “color” to endure and adapt over time. Structural racism is not something that a few people or institutions choose to practice. Instead it has been a feature of the social, economic and political systems in which we all exist.