Systematic Racism

Author: Umaima Taha

For a long time, the voices of the oppressed were dismissed and ignored, but that changed in 2020 when over 15-26 million people took part in protests to stand in solidarity with George Floyd - a victim of police brutality. Those protests did not just reflect current issues, they were a cry for help by those affected over and over again by racism since they began in the early 1600s. The previously elected president Donald Trump was among the oppressors and openly discriminated against African Americans and other races, including those of Hispanic ethnicity to keep perpetuating bias, favoritism, and injustice. One form of racism is known as Systematic racism.

What is systematic racism?

Also called structural racism or institutional racism, they are systems and structures with processes that disadvantage African or other minority ethnicities. It creates disparities in many "success indicators" including wealth, the criminal justice system, employment, housing, health care, politics, and education.

How are minorities or people of color affected by it?

In terms of education

You might be shocked to find that racism in education begins at a young age and has an impact on how a kid learns in the classroom. Previous research has indicated that kids who experienced racial discrimination were not only less likely to be placed in advanced or talented classrooms, but they were also the ones who received the most detentions and penalties, particularly when their teachers were white. They are also discriminated against because of their outward appearance, as seen in the case of Jurnee Hoffmeyer, a 7-year-old biracial child whose hair was chopped off by her instructors. They may also have fewer options for pursuing and completing higher education. Furthermore, schools that people of color mostly attend are chronically underfunded. Teachers in these poor institutions are sometimes inexperienced or unlicensed. As a result, their academic performance worsens, leading many to leave out and jeopardizing the aspiration of attending college for those who stay. This creates a disparity in opportunities between black people and white people and people of other races, alienating them and restricting their professional advancement chances.

In terms of employment

A typical person of color with the same credentials or even more experience is offered about 30% less income than a competitive white candidate. That might be because, according to one research, job seekers with white-sounding names get called back 50% more often than those with black-sounding, Hispanic, or Middle Eastern names, even though their applications are similar.

In terms of wealth

It's nearly hard to accumulate wealth without a stable and secure job. According to one survey, white households own 90% of the country's wealth, followed by Latino families with 2.3 percent and Black families with 2.6 percent. Not only that, consider this: for every $100 in income earned by white families, Black families earn only $57.30. That's almost unbelievable—and it's a major issue of racial oppression.

In terms of criminal justice

When a black or ethnic minority person commits a crime alongside a White person, the person of color has a higher likelihood of getting apprehended. It's also true that Black individuals get convicted more frequently than White people once they've been arrested. For many years, legislation imposed far harsher penalties for drug possession. Finally, when Black individuals are convicted, they are roughly 20% more likely to be sentenced to prison, and their sentences are generally 20% longer than White people who are convicted of identical offenses.

In terms of healthcare

Black, Middle Eastern, and Hispanic Americans are significantly more likely than white Americans to be denied emergency medical treatment. The hospitals they visit are typically underfunded and staffed by practitioners with limited expertise. However, even doctors from those cultures experience discrimination: they are less likely than their White counterparts with comparable credentials to get government subsidies for research initiatives. And it appears that a lifetime of racism exposes stress-related health problems that can lead to chronic problems later in life such as coronary artery disease.

In terms of surveillance

The reality for African Americans is substantially different daily. More than half of all young Black Americans know someone who has been harassed by the police, including themselves. Drivers of color are 30 percent more likely to be stopped. According to statistics, black drivers are 30 percent more likely than white drivers to be stopped by the police. Black people are twice as likely as whites to die in pedestrian accidents, maybe because automobiles are less inclined to stop for Black people or Muslims, such as this incident which occurred in Canada. And of course, it’s well-known that Muslims are under increasing and often illegal surveillance.

What can you do to help?

Learn to recognize and understand your privilege.

Learning to recognize and understand your privilege is one of the first steps in ending racial prejudice. Racial advantage manifests itself in a variety of social, political, economic, and cultural contexts. Two strategies to start this hard process are to check your privilege and use your privilege to destroy systematic racism.

Examine your own biases and consider where they may have originated.

What messages about individuals who are different from you did you hear as a child? How racially and ethnically diverse was your neighborhood, school, or religious community? What makes you believe that was the case? Bias, preconceptions, and prejudice are formed and reinforced as a result of these encounters, which can lead to discrimination. Examining our prejudices can aid us in our efforts to guarantee that everyone is treated equally.

Validate the experiences and feelings of people of color.

Supporting other people's experiences and engaging in difficult dialogues about racism and injustice are two more ways to confront bias and realize privilege. We cannot be terrified of "doing it wrong" if we debate injustice and prejudice. Learn about the ways that racism continues to harm our society and take action.

As advocates, we gain knowledge about domestic abuse through listening to survivors. Listening to people of color is also the greatest approach to comprehending racial injustice.

Call out racist “jokes” or statements.

Make it clear that racial remarks are not acceptable. If you don't feel comfortable or secure confronting them, try breaking down their thought process and asking questions. "That joke doesn't make sense to me; could you clarify it?" for example. "You may be joking, but this is what it means when you say that sort of thing," or "You may be joking, but this is what it means when you say that type of thing."

Find out how your company or school works to expand opportunities for people of color.

Systemic racism refers to impediments in the workplace or at school that disadvantage people of color, such as income inequality, criminal justice prejudice, and educational and housing discrimination. According to the African American Policy Forum (AAPF), in 2014, a 12-year-old girl was charged criminally and expelled from school for writing "hello" on a locker room wall. #BlackGirlsMatter is a campaign, which addresses the over-policing and under-protection of Black girls in the educational system. Businesses and schools must address these concerns and build an equitable culture.