During HCLS-hosted racial equity trainings, community members reacted to national data on systemic racism and its impact on people’s lives. Many questioned whether this was happening here. Inequity Within provides data showing the local history of racial inequity and its ongoing impact on education, health, housing, and criminal justice in Howard County and across Maryland. As the county’s most trusted institution, HCLS is uniquely positioned to educate the community about equity issues and co-create solutions.

Inequity Within is the only process to feature a multisystem framework exploring systems and social determinants to illuminate how structural racism reinforces inequities across communities of color, even in a place as healthy and wealthy as Howard County, MD. HCLS flipped the power dynamic by amplifying inequities and providing data in a highly readable and digestible format not only to leaders and systems, but also directly to those most impacted, welcoming them into policy conversations and equipping them to act.

Elected and appointed leaders, library staff, community members, and leadership affiliated with the county’s major systems and organizations are using Inequity Within to better understand the local condition and inform their work forward. Examples include the Howard County Executive using the data to shape policy and drive impact, the school system using the data to shift student outcomes, and the local Chamber of Commerce referencing the report in their work to diversify government contracts and procurement.