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Racial Discrimination

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In many communities, the practice of racial profiling and ethnic discrimination is still commonplace. RAND studies have shown the effects of ethnic and racial discrimination on health care utilization, children's mental health, job markets, and sports, as well as in police departments, where racial profiling prevention training is now common.

Commentary
'Replacement Theory' Is a Danger to Us All
“Replacement theory” is woven into the very fabric of American society—and made all the more visible by the precipitous rise in hate crimes today. What can be done to reject this zero-sum thinking?
Jul 8, 2022
Essay
What Would It Take to Close America's Black-White Wealth Gap?
White Americans hold ten times more total wealth than Black Americans, a disparity that has worsened in recent decades. RAND researchers modeled wealth across millions of households and tested several funding scenarios to see which could most effectively close the gap.
May 9, 2023

Explore Racial Discrimination

Journal Article
History of Incarceration Is Associated with Unmet Socioeconomic Needs and Structural Discrimination Among Young Black Sexual Minority Men (SMM) in the United States
This study aimed to assess the prevalence and association between unmet socioeconomic and structural needs and history of incarceration among young Black sexual minority men.
May 24, 2023
Commentary
Reducing Racial Disparities in VA Disability Compensation Decisions
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough recently announced formation of an equity team to examine and address racial differences in disability compensation grant rates. This is encouraging progress, particularly after years of reluctance on the part of the department to acknowledge there might be a problem.
Mar 13, 2023
Report
Countering Domestic Racially and Ethnically Motivated Violent Terrorism on Social Media
Researchers developed the Racist and Violent Extremist Flock (RVE-Flock) tool to explore and analyze textual content and identify and understand emerging terms and their usage on racially and ethnically motivated violent extremist-affiliated social media. This guide explains and demonstrates the tool's functionality and suggests further applications and refinements.
Feb 23, 2023
Journal Article
Racial Disparities in Criminal Sentencing Vary Considerably Across Federal Judges
Substantial race-based disparities exist in federal criminal sentencing. We analyze 380,000 recent (2006–2019) sentences in the JUSTFAIR database and show that these disparities are large and vary considerably across judges.
Feb 15, 2023
Journal Article
Examining the Cross-sectional Association Between Neighborhood Conditions, Discrimination, and Telomere Length in a Predominantly African American Sample
Disproportionate exposure to adverse neighborhood conditions and greater discrimination may contribute to health disparities among African Americans.
Jan 10, 2023
Report
Incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Considerations into the 2021 Department of the Air Force Developmental Education Selection Boards: Analysis of Outcomes
Although demographic data have been masked for most Air Force boards adjudicating career development and promotions, the 2021 Central Professional Military Education Program Boards provided an opportunity to test the effects of unmasking the data.
Dec 20, 2022
Commentary
To Help African Americans Gain Generational Wealth, Look to the Housing Market
African American families have significantly less wealth than White families, even after reaching the middle class. Home ownership is, for the vast majority of Americans, the primary vehicle for accruing wealth, and passing it down through generations. This is a crucial time for policymakers to consider policies that focus on improving home ownership rates for African Americans.
Dec 7, 2022
Report
Accounting for Black-White Wealth Differences
Wealth accumulation is not solely determined by a person's choices and ability. Many factors affect individual wealth, including parental income, credit, and systemic discrimination. These factors have a cumulative effect and can lead to persistent disparities over generations.
Dec 7, 2022
Report
Examining the Loss of Wealth and Downward Mobility of African Americans
Black children who grow up in middle-class households are less likely than white children who grow up in middle-class households to replicate their parents' socioeconomic status. What key factors contribute to this disparity?
Dec 7, 2022
Commentary
Reforming Policing: A Neighborhood-by-Neighborhood Perspective
Disparities in policing outcomes, so often associated with race and ethnicity, have led to divisive discourse on the necessity of police reform in America. So how might we make progress on police reform? Ultimately, the community, in collaboration with local public officials, should determine what it means to serve and protect.
Sep 28, 2022
Q&A
Reducing Police Violence: Q&A with Melissa Labriola
A succession of high-profile police killings has prompted some departments and communities to seek change. But data is sparse, and research is thin. Melissa Labriola helped lead a study of police violence and developed a road map for future research that could move the field forward.
Sep 1, 2022
News Release
Fewer FEMA Employees Experienced Workplace Harassment or Discrimination in 2021 than 2019; More Progress Needed
The risk of FEMA employees experiencing harassment or discrimination in 2021 was significantly less than in 2019, but one in five employees still experienced at least one civil rights violation during the preceding year.
Aug 24, 2022
Report
Harassment and Discrimination at FEMA Is Declining, but More Progress Is Needed
About one in five FEMA employees surveyed experienced at least one gender-based/sexual or race/ethnicity–based civil rights violation in the past year. This is an improvement since 2019, but how can FEMA further its efforts to develop and maintain a workplace in which all employees are treated with professionalism and respect?
Aug 24, 2022
Report
Assessing the Potential for Racial Bias in the Security Clearance Process
In this exploratory report, the authors consider the security clearance process through the lens of racial justice. They identify areas where bias might contribute to the underrepresentation of Black Americans in the national security workforce.
Aug 15, 2022
Commentary
Segregation and Racism—Buffalo's Ignored History
To move policy forward, public policy research will need to take a joint, nonpartisan look at diverse perspectives while, at the same time, giving space to voices that have been historically underrepresented. Changing or challenging fundamental assumptions in racial equity discourse requires a better understanding of the importance of cultural data, the longstanding impacts of systemic -isms on lived experiences, and a push for real-time policy solutions.
Jul 25, 2022
Blog
Gun Storage, the Dangers of Replacement Theory, War in Ukraine: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how Americans store their guns, why
Jul 15, 2022
Report
Harmful Interpersonal Behaviors in the Department of the Air Force: Informing Prevention and Response
This Perspective describes and applies a conceptual model of prevention to such harmful behaviors as sexual harassment, sexual assault, racial/ethnic harassment and discrimination, hazing, and domestic abuse in the Department of the Air Force.
Apr 20, 2022
Journal Article
Perceived Discrimination, Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy, and HIV Care Engagement Among HIV-positive Black Adults: The Mediating Role of Medical Mistrust
Perceived discrimination and mistrust have indirect negative effects on adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-positive Black adults.
Mar 31, 2022

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RAND Topic:
Racial Discrimination

Topic Synonyms:
Bigotry;
Racial Profiling

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Lawrence M. Hanser

Senior Behavioral Scientist

Lawrence M. Hanser (he/him) is a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation. He previously served as associate director of the Manpower, Personnel, and Training Program within RAND Project AIR FORCE.
David J. Klein

Statistical Analyst

David J. Klein is a senior statistical analyst at the RAND Corporation. He has worked on a wide variety of research projects, mostly in the health field, and has extensive experience with statistical analysis of complex survey data, as well as claims, census, and other sources of data. Among…

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