White people and people of color access voting, social services, and employment in vastly different ways. These disparities are rooted in local and federal policies of the 1940s and 1950s that determined which racial and ethnic groups could attain low-cost mortgages, buy property, and live in certain neighborhoods. The result is large gaps in wealth among racial and ethnic groups. Discriminatory policies continue today including a system that pegs property taxes to public funding and services.

Social movements have sought and demanded legislative change as a key strategy toward changing realities on the ground, as structural racism continues to penetrate systems of public health, education, and criminal justice. This section provides content about strategies aimed at changing policies and systems, including legislative change and litigation.