Racial equity focuses on results, not intentions. A policy can be race-neutral on paper and still widen gaps if it ignores how groups start from different places. Equity work asks who is harmed by a rule, who designed it and who benefits from keeping it.
Governments and organizations use tools like racial equity impact assessments to test a policy before adopting it. Some cities and counties have created offices of racial equity for this purpose. In January 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 13985, directing federal agencies to review their programs for barriers facing underserved communities. President Trump revoked it in January 2025.
The gaps equity work targets are measurable. In 2022, the median white family held about $285,000 in wealth, compared with about $44,900 for the median Black family, according to the Federal Reserve. In 2023, Black women died from pregnancy-related causes at more than three times the rate of white women, according to the CDC. Racial equity would mean those numbers no longer split along racial lines.