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In his book ‘Systems Thinking for Social Change: A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results’, systems thinking pioneer, David Peter Stroh shares, “applying systems thinking principles and tools enables you to achieve better results with fewer resources in more lasting ways. Systems thinking and its benefits are invaluable tools that deeply inform the structured cognitive behavioral training (SCBT) framework for racial equity consciousness development.

Increasing awareness. SCBT emphasizes awareness as a vital step in the journey toward racial equity consciousness. It helps learners understand how their unconscious biases and behavior patterns may unwittingly contribute to racial disparities. Systems thinking enhances this by revealing the interconnectedness of societal structures that perpetuate racial inequity, hence enabling learners to understand and challenge their complicity in these systems.
Empowering change. The SCBT framework acknowledges that significant change often starts from within. By leveraging systems thinking, SCBT equips learners with the tools to reflect on their individual attitudes and behaviors, to identify those that may inadvertently perpetuate racial disparities, and to make informed decisions that challenge systemic racism.
Mobilizing stakeholders. Systems thinking promotes collaboration, highlighting the potential of collective efforts in effecting change. The SCBT framework capitalizes on this by facilitating dialogue and fostering collaborative problem-solving among diverse participants. This diversity allows for richer discussions and more comprehensive solutions, as individuals bring unique perspectives shaped by their experiences with race and racism.
Anticipating and avoiding negative consequences. SCBT emphasizes the importance of thoughtfully considering potential impacts of our actions on racial equity. By integrating systems thinking, SCBT helps learners anticipate and avoid unintended negative consequences. This process promotes more nuanced understandings of racial dynamics and fosters actions that genuinely contribute to racial equity rather than inadvertently upholding racial inequities.
Identifying high-leverage interventions. The framework encourages learners to recognize and focus on high-leverage points within systemic racial inequity – areas where interventions can yield significant, lasting improvements. Systems thinking aids in identifying these points by revealing how different parts of the system interact to perpetuate racial disparities.
Promoting continuous learning and growth. Both systems thinking and SCBT underscore the importance of continuous learning and adaptation. Systems thinking fosters an environment of ongoing exploration and growth, pushing learners to challenge their assumptions continually and adapt their understanding and behaviors to more effectively cultivate racial equity.

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The SCBT framework for racial equity consciousness development entails an antiracist systems thinking, concentric approach that focuses on the exploration and cultivation of six bilateral and interconnected spheres of behavioral embodiment. The spheres represent virtuous feedback loops in which actively reflecting on and embodying prescribed consciousness development behaviors fosters a positive, reinforcing effect. These spheres are designed to empower individuals and communities to contemplate and cultivate racial equity through ongoing reflection, education, and praxis of the virtuous, antiracist behaviors. The concentric nature of the process recognizes that individuals and communities will continually refine their understanding, abilities, and actions as they engage in and across the behavioral spheres.

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Critical systems thinking mental model of racial equity consciousness development consisting of six interconnected, bilateral spheres of embodiment—reciprocal consciousness development behaviors stimulated through reflection, education, and praxis cycles.

Central to the SCBT framework for racial equity consciousness development is the active engagement of the cyclical process of reflection, education, and praxis. This process recognizes that racial equity consciousness development is an ongoing, iterative journey. As individuals engage with each sphere, they will continually refine their understanding, skills, and actions. The cyclical process can be understood as follows:

Reflection: Reflect on areas and opportunities for consciousness growth, seeking out scholarly work, primary sources, and firsthand accounts to deepen understanding.
Education: Engage in formal and informal learning experiences to broaden knowledge, challenge biases, and enhance skills related to racial equity consciousness development.
Praxis: Apply the knowledge, awareness, and skills gained through reflection and education to real-world situations, seeking opportunities for activism, advocacy, and transformative change.

By continually cycling through reflection, education, and praxis, individuals can develop a more comprehensive understanding of racial equity consciousness and foster personal and collective growth. This cyclical process emphasizes the importance of constantly refining one's understanding, learning from experiences, and taking action to make a meaningful impact in the pursuit of racial equity.

Racial equity consciousness is not an ideal level of dispositions, knowledge, awareness, or skills that we attain, after which we remain static. Rather, it is dynamic. In this sense, it is comparable to developing software coding skills. There is always something new to learn and practice. Developing racial equity consciousness is a holistic and lifelong practice rooted in humility, intentionality, and persistence.

The Value of Systems Thinking - This video, produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provides an overview of why systems thinking is important and what it means to apply it. It describes why our traditional way of thinking may thwart achieving our intended results or unintentionally create worse issues than the ones we’re trying to address. Viewers will learn how to better determine if (and how) an issue can benefit from systems thinking, and the steps required to have a positive effect.

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