Weaponized opacity

At the policy level, racism takes the form of deliberate hiding of information. Systems obscure information, operate behind closed doors and make decisions based on an echo chamber of voices—the voices who are in the rooms of power and decision-making. Because information is held tightly, there are few paths for true accountability or equitable and diverse participation.

Weaponized opacity can look like:

• Lack of transparency
• Lack of representation
• Lack of accountability

“Policy materials are written in legalese, creating barriers to access for people and practitioners without fluency in policy language.” —Design team member