A Youth Leader's Guide to Building Cultural Competence 

served by the process. United States' history shows that the formal political arena has been   and 

continues to be   largely dominated by men of European descent. 

The level of a group's participation in government can be a result of restrictions against doing so. For 

example, the literacy tests for voting in the South effectively prevented many African Americans from 

voting. The level of participation can also be influenced by a group's belief in the efficacy of politics as 

an avenue for group advancement. If no faith exists that the government will help a group advance, 

members may be less likely to participate in the political process. In fact, recent voter turnouts indicate 

that groups with upper income levels, advanced levels of education and are predominantly white have the 

highest percentage of voter turnout. 

In the advocacy arena, non elected leaders of great courage and vision have had a profound impact upon 

society. These alternative avenues have been instrumental to social change for women and people of 

color. In fact, many would argue that true social change rarely starts in the government, but that it bubbles 

up from community activists and informed citizens.  

Questions to consider about cultural groups: __________ 

How well represented is this group in the local, state and national governments? How many 

women are among this group's elected and appointed officials? 

How common is it for members of this group to have U.S. citizenship? To be registered voters? To 

vote? To be courted by candidates? Which ones? 

What are the advocacy organizations that work on behalf of this group? How well do they 

represent the diversity of the group? 

How active are this group's churches and other religious organizations in social movements? 

Who are the formal and informal leaders at the local and national level?  

What is the group's relationship with law enforcement officials like?  

For groups who have arrived in the U.S. recently, what is the political situation in the country they 

came from? Is political participation encouraged? Are elections held? Are they fair?  

Racism 

The impact of racism in the U.S. has been devastating and far 

reaching and it continues today. A blunt discussion of racism and 

Racism can be simply defined: 

an understanding of its effects on individuals and communities is 

Prejudice + Power = Racism 

essential for building cultural competence.  

Prejudice means unreasonable feelings, opinions or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, directed 

against any group. Anybody can be prejudiced and everyone is. Any group can be prejudiced against any 

other group. Just because a group is often the target of prejudice does not necessarily stop members of 

that group from being prejudiced against some other group.  

Racism is the addition of some form of power to racial prejudice. Only those individuals or groups 

who are prejudiced against a racial group and have the power to act on those prejudices can be correctly 

labeled racist. That power is often institutional, meaning that racial inequalities are set in policy.  

Racism in the United States means that people of color have been   and continue to be   denied equal 

opportunities for housing, education, employment, health care and other services. In the past, laws 

denying equal rights to people of color were on the books, and enforced, in many parts of the country. 

Today, the mechanisms that tend to keep people of color out of jobs, out of school, in poor health and in