{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,8]],"date-time":"2026-08-08T06:44:29Z","timestamp":1786171469337,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,1]],"date-time":"2026-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767225600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,1]],"date-time":"2026-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767225600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"name":"University of Maryland New Directions Grant"},{"name":"University of Maryland Faculty Student Research Award"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Health Equity"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Processes for implementing racial equity and social justice (RESJ) policies are not well understood, despite their growing adoption across local governments. To address this gap, this qualitative study examines how practitioners navigate the day-to-day work of translating RESJ policy mandates into practice and the institutional, political, and organizational conditions shaping implementation across three jurisdictions in a large U.S. metropolitan area.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 10 practitioners involved in RESJ policy implementation and identified through purposive sampling between June and November 2023. Interviews explored participants\u2019 experiences with policy interpretation, community and stakeholder engagement, organizational capacity, accountability, and perceived policy impact. Data were analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Six themes and 14 subthemes were identified. The themes characterized participants\u2019 experiences with interpreting and operationalizing policy mandates; organizational capacity and resource constraints; data infrastructure and practices; formal and relational accountability and oversight; emotional and ethical challenges; and political durability and risk. The findings illuminated key barriers and facilitators shaping policy adoption, acceptability, feasibility, fidelity, and sustainment, highlighting critical leverage points within RESJ policy implementation processes.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>These insights underscore the need for greater institutional capacity, explicit and transparent accountability mechanisms, and sustained political and material support to strengthen RESJ policy implementation. Amid recent retrenchment of equity-focused policies, these findings provide guidance for policymakers and administrators seeking to design, implement, and sustain equity policies within local government systems.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/24731242261473059","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]],"date-time":"2026-08-06T09:50:58Z","timestamp":1786009858000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Implementing Racial and Social Justice Policies: A Qualitative Study of Three Local U.S. Jurisdictions"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0939-8073","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kellee","family":"White Whilby","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Makeda","family":"Walelo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alana J.","family":"Gunn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Criminology, Law and Justice University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_3_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-publhealth-040218-3750"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1475-6773.2012.01410.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_4_1","article-title":"Building community power to achieve health and racial equity: Principles to guide transformative partnerships with local communities","volume":"2022","author":"Farhang L","year":"2022","unstructured":"3.Farhang L, , Morales X. Building community power to achieve health and racial equity: Principles to guide transformative partnerships with local communities. NAM Perspect 2022;2022.","journal-title":"NAM Perspect"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_5_1","unstructured":"4.Nelson J Brook L. Racial equity toolkit an opportunity to operationalize equity. 2016."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_6_1","unstructured":"5.Local and Regional Government Alliance on Race & Equity. Available from: https:\/\/www.racialequityalliance.org\/"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_7_1","unstructured":"6.White Whilby K. Health Affairs Forefront. 2024. Available from: https:\/\/www.healthaffairs.org\/content\/forefront\/using-executive-orders-affirmatively-advance-racial-equity"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1473971"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_9_1","unstructured":"8.County Council for Montgomery County Maryland. Racial Equity and Social Justice Act. 2019. Available from: https:\/\/www.montgomerycountymd.gov\/COUNCIL\/Resources\/Files\/RacialEquity\/Bill27-19.pdf"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_10_1","unstructured":"9.The REACH Act - The Racial Equity Achieves Results Act of 2020. Available from: https:\/\/kenyanmcduffieward5.com\/equity\/"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_11_1","unstructured":"10.Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. One Fairfax Policy. Available from: https:\/\/www.fairfaxcounty.gov\/topics\/sites\/topics\/files\/assets\/documents\/pdf\/one-fairfax-policy.pdf"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(17)30569-X"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2021.681602"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ev.313"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_15_1","unstructured":"14.Brief 4: Evaluating Policy Implementation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available from: https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/injury\/pdfs\/policy\/Brief%204-a.pdf"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12961-024-01110-0"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s13012-020-01007-w"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s43058-021-00146-5"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s13012-021-01082-7"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1377\/hlthaff.2017.1264"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/02692163241234800"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/2159676X.2019.1704846"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3402\/qhw.v9.26152"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.glmedi.2025.100198"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ssmqr.2025.100695"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0046958019874153"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_28_1","volume-title":"Keeping Promises While Keeping Score: Gauging the Impacts of Policy Proposals on Racial Equity","author":"de Souza Briggs X","year":"2022","unstructured":"27.de Souza Briggs X, , McGahey RM. Keeping Promises While Keeping Score: Gauging the Impacts of Policy Proposals on Racial Equity. The Brookings Institute; 2022."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_29_1","unstructured":"28.Racial Equity Tools. Available from: https:\/\/www.racialequitytools.org\/resources\/plan\/change-process\/accountability"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2018-000842"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/jia2.26374"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_32_1","volume-title":"Applying Racial & Health Equity Impact Assessments for Better Policy Making","author":"Aoki J","year":"2025","unstructured":"31.Aoki J, , Laska M, , Strobl G. Applying Racial & Health Equity Impact Assessments for Better Policy Making. Public Health Law Center at the Mitchel Hamline School of Law; 2025."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_33_1","unstructured":"32.McGahey RM de Souza Briggs X Treuhaft S et al. Measuring what matters for racial progress: Local and state innovation in racial equity impact assessment. 2022."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_34_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s13012-021-01143-x"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s40615-022-01292-9"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_36_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01419870.2018.1439981"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_37_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10447-021-09449-7"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgph.0003131"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_39_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1091\/mbc.E24-06-0264"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_40_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0003122418822335"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_41_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2025.308081"}],"container-title":["Health Equity"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/24731242261473059","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/24731242261473059","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/24731242261473059","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,8]],"date-time":"2026-08-08T06:16:21Z","timestamp":1786169781000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/24731242261473059"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"references-count":40,"alternative-id":["10.1177\/24731242261473059"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/24731242261473059","relation":{},"ISSN":["2473-1242","2473-1242"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2473-1242","type":"print"},{"value":"2473-1242","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"article-number":"24731242261473059"}}