Critical Race Theory is “the intellectual and social movement and loosely organized framework of legal analysis based on the premise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category that is used to oppress and exploit people of color. Critical race theorists hold that racism is inherent in the law and legal institutions of the United States insofar as they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites, especially African Americans. Critical race theorists are generally dedicated to applying their understanding of the institutional or structural nature of racism to the concrete (if distant) goal of eliminating all race-based and other unjust hierarchies.” (Encyclopedia Brittanica, 2022)

Racism is an embedded facet of society (specifically in the law and legal systems). Example: Disproportionate sentences for crack and powder cocaine result in more and longer sentences for Black individuals than their White counterparts despite legislation passed to try and remedy the laws that make such unfair sentencing possible.

Equity is the presence of policies, practices, processes, and opportunities that make it similarly possible for individuals with a variety of intersectional identities to participate in a certain space. It might answer the question, “How easy was it for them to enter this room?” or “How easy was it for them to find/get a place at the decision-making table?”