Our mission is to ILLUMINATE, DISRUPT, and DISMANTLE racism in all its forms.
The University of Southern California is home to a dynamic research, professional learning, and organizational improvement center that serves educational institutions, corporations, government agencies, and other organizations that span a multitude of industries across the United States and in other countries. We actualize our mission through rigorous interdisciplinary research, high-quality professional learning experiences, the production and wide dissemination of useful tools, trustworthy consultations and strategy advising, and substantive partnerships. While race and ethnicity are at the epicenter of our work, we also value their intersectionality with other identities, and therefore aim to advance equity for all persons experiencing marginalization. Our rigorous approach is built on research, scalable and adaptable models of success, and continuous feedback from partners and clients.
We acknowledge that our center is on the traditional land of the Gabrielino-Tongva peoples. We also recognize the Chumash, Tataviam, Serrano, Cahuilla, Juaneño, and Luiseño People for the land that USC occupies around Southern California. We honor their past and present.
K-12 SCHOOLS
& DISTRICTS
Equipping educators and leaders with practically-useful, evidence-based strategies to effectively serve racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students and families.
RESEARCH & ASSESSMENT
We conduct rigorous, interdisciplinary qualitative and quantitative research on a vast array of topics pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are especially well known for our assessments of climates in educational and workplace settings, policy and pay equity analyses, and studies of racial and gender gaps on a multitude of metrics. Research conducted by scholars on our full-time staff has been cited in over 20,000 published studies. Atlantic Philanthropies, the U.S. Department of Education, as well as the Bill & Melinda Gates, Lumina, Ford, Kellogg, Sloan, College Futures, Weingart, Kresge, Walmart, and Open Society Foundations are among the funders of our research and partnerships.
The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, CNN, ESPN, NPR, HBO Sports, and hundreds of other media outlets have highlighted our studies and quoted our center experts. The Center is home to the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates, a peer-reviewed, expert validated quantitative survey that has been administered to more than 1.4 million undergraduates since its launch in 2019. We also have interviewed thousands of employees for workplace climate assessments in businesses, colleges and universities, and K-12 schools. Our research team is developing a trio of quantitative workplace climate surveys that will be available by Summer 2022.
LATEST NEWS
List of news on Race from USC and the USC Race & Equity Center
Jessica DeCuir-Gunby to Lead USC Race and Equity Center
USC Rossier School of Education Professor Jessica T. DeCuir-Gunby, a globally-acclaimed educational psychologist and racial equity expert, has been named the next executive director of the USC Race and Equity Center.
Center Serving as DEI Strategy, Learning Partner for 2028 Olympics
We are the diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility strategy architect and implementation partner for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic games that will be held here in Los Angeles. We are also providing DEI professional learning [...]
Sports Equity Leadership Certificate Program
Our new Sports Equity Leadership Academy includes six live, highly interactive learning sessions. Between each session, Academy participants will collaborate on solving timely problems of practice that confront intercollegiate and professional sports organizations.
Center Releases Eight Practice Briefs for K-12 Educators
The USC Race and Equity Center published a series of eight practice briefs for every K-12 school and teacher education program across America, authored by Dr. James C. Bridgeforth. Guidance is offered to educators who [...]
Center Report Uses Research To Fight Attacks On DEI
A dozen expert scholars authored a new report that counters misinformation, disinformation, exaggerations, and lies about DEI in higher education. The 62-page document was inspired by a recent congressional hearing that overflowed with inaccuracies from Republicans.
Shaun Harper Joins Policy School Faculty
Two U.S. Presidents and a California Governor appointed Harper to significant boards and councils. The highly respected policy scholar has joined the Sol Price School of Public Policy as a Professor of Public Policy [...]
