Explore Racial Healing Tools & Resources

The pursuit of racial healing and racial equity calls for more than one conversation. To help you plan your first, second or even your 10th conversation, we have curated this list of resources to help shape healthy dialogue across Illinois. Visit these resources in any particular order:

Understanding racial equity

  • Where: Racial Equity Tools
    What's there:     This page provides simple definitions of such phrases as "racial equity" and "racial inequity." While the definitions of these terms are dynamic and informed by points-of-view, this website can give anyone on a racial equity journey a simple understanding of the language often used in this kind of work.

Hosting starter conversations

  • Where: The Chicago Community Trust's On the Table
    What's there:     This digital tool kit has everything that one would need to plan conversations in their communities. There are virtual resources used for setting up a virtual conversation, sample prompts and more!
  • Where: TRHT Chicago
    What's there:     Racial equity is not always easy to discuss. This website provides information about upcoming opportunities to host and attend virtual racial healing circles, participate in racial healing practitioner training, and access various conversation guides.
  • Where: TRHT Kellogg
    What's there:     While talking about racial equity is important, it's always helpful to have things put into perspective. This page provides various guides and workshops on specific activities and dialogue structure, including an implementation guidebook.

Talking about equitable development

  • Where: Racial Equity Alliance
    What's there:     What does racial equity have to do with what your community looks like, what gets built there and what doesn't? A lot. This toolkit provides insights on what equitable development and its benefits are. This tool provides a framework on how to use equitable development to advance racial equity, and gives examples of what equitable development can look like across the United States.

Performing a community assessment

  • Where: Racial Equity Tools
    What's there:     For communities taking their first steps toward racial equity work, this page offers steps for conducting community assessments while paying attention to contextual factors such as influences, power dynamics, and capacities. There also are other resources on deepening assessments and thinking of action plans.

Utilizing Racial Equity Tools

  • Where: Racial Equity Alliance (pdf)
    What's there:     This resource defines a racial equity tool and provides insights on who can use it and how it can be used. It also gives insight on questions one should ask, how to engage the community and how to use the racial equity tool along with other racial equity strategies.
  • Where: Chicago United for Equity
    What's there:     This resource provides a racial equity impact assessment tool, which is a set of questions that investigates the benefits or burdens of an idea. That idea can be either a policy or a practice.

Resources and Expertise

  • Where: University of Illinois at Chicago's Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy
    What's there:     Doing the work of racial equity is fine for individuals, but it's best when done in collaboration with others. UIC's Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy shares the websites of many community organizations, philanthropists, data sources and more.
  • Where: Race Forward
    What's there:     There are several research reports that go into detail about how racial inequities affect various aspects of our lives including healthcare, food access, and the workforce!
  • Where: Color Lines
    What's there:     This is a daily news site providing articles about the ways that race is intertwined with every part of our lives. Topics include arts and culture, COVID-19, and more.
  • Where: Center for Urban and Racial Equity
    What's there:     Works with government agencies organizations of all levels to design and implement initiatives that are centered around equity.
  • Where: Luna Jimenez Institute for Social Transformation
    What's there:     This institute provides training, coaching and keynote speaking to individuals and organizations who are seeking to understand and commit to social justice.
  • Where: National Equity Project
    What's there:     This organization is dedicated to supporting and developing leaders to transform institutions and systems.