Mission Statement

PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity by Lifting Up What Works.®

As the nation moves toward becoming majority people of color, achieving equity—just and fair inclusion into a society in which all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential—is the moral imperative, a potent antidote to inequality, and the superior growth model.

Equity aims to equip everyone, especially those who have been left behind, with the resources that allow them to contribute and prosper. It is a pragmatic approach to solve the nation's greatest problems and sources of tension: economic inequality and racial exclusion. Equity addresses race forthrightly and productively, but it is not about benefitting one group at the expense of another.  When smart, sustainable strategies are tailored to the needs of the most vulnerable communities, opportunities improve for all.  

To advance equity, PolicyLink advocates for groundbreaking policy changes that enable everyone, especially people of color, to be economically secure, live in healthy communities of opportunity, and benefit from a just society. PolicyLink is guided by the belief that the solutions to the nation’s challenges lie with those closest to these challenges: when the wisdom, voice, and experience of those traditionally absent from policymaking drive the process, profound policy transformations emerge.