Systemic Racism in America
A History of Racism
Why has racism persisted in the United States for so long? A reason may be that racism has been deeply woven into the fabric of our nation from its very founding and therefore in many cases is baked into the system, causing discrimination against Blacks that is harder to see (and fight) than overt bigotry.
Pre-Civil War Era
Thomas Jefferson had a beautiful idea that "all men are created equal". He also owned many slaves. This seeming contradiction was resolved by Jefferson declaring that "Negro inferiority" was "obvious", and to call for "science" to determine the nature of this "obvious" inferiority.
This idea that there is a scientific, biological difference that made Black slaves inferior to White American citizens allowed slavery to persist in the United States until 1863, and required a Civil War that killed up to 750,000.
This idea that there is a scientific, biological difference that made Black slaves inferior to White American citizens allowed slavery to persist in the United States until 1863, and required a Civil War that killed up to 750,000.
Reconstruction Era
After the Civil War, deeply racist Jim Crow laws enshrined many discriminatory practices into law throughout the nation to disenfranchise and segregate Black America from White America. Segregation would remain the law of the land for a century, and kept Black communities impoverished and without access to many opportunities afforded White communities.
Learn More: Khan Academy - The Origins of Jim Crow
California Newsreel - The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
Learn More: Khan Academy - The Origins of Jim Crow
California Newsreel - The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
Civil Rights Movement to Present Day
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1967 speech at Stanford University.
The landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 declared state-sponsored school segregation to be unconstitutional, representing one of the first key victories in dismantling racial segregation in the United States. In many areas, racial tensions began to increase, and white supremacists committed horrendous acts of brutality. The lynching of Emmit Till and the horrific images of his tortured body galvanized a movement committed to nonviolent protest and civil disobedience lead by Martin Luther King Jr. and others. The movement had many great successus, including civil rights legislation, voting rights legislation, and end to the ban on interracial marriage, and legislation mandating fair housing. Still, there were horrible acts of retaliation by white supremacists, most notably the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Since the Civil Rights movement, progress against racism has advanced more slowly. Hundreds of hate groups are still operating in the United States, often utilizing the Internet to spread their vile messages. 145 Black Southern churches were set on fire in the 1990s, and mass shooters have also targeted minorities, as was the case when Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church was attacked in 2015, killing 9 and wounding 3.
Learn More: History of the Civil Rights Movement (YouTube)
Since the Civil Rights movement, progress against racism has advanced more slowly. Hundreds of hate groups are still operating in the United States, often utilizing the Internet to spread their vile messages. 145 Black Southern churches were set on fire in the 1990s, and mass shooters have also targeted minorities, as was the case when Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church was attacked in 2015, killing 9 and wounding 3.
Learn More: History of the Civil Rights Movement (YouTube)
Current Disparities
There is perhaps no clearer sign that there is still much work to do than looking at the clear disparities we see in the United States when we compare Black America and White America. To list just a few examples:
Health Disparities:
Black children are twice as likely to die of diabetes than White children.
Black children are 5 times as likely to die of asthma than White children.
Black infant mortality is 2.3 times higher than White infant mortality.
Black maternal mortality is 3.2 times higher than White maternal mortality.
Criminal Justice Disparities:
Black Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at 5.1 times the rate of White Americans.
Black Americans are 3.7 times more likely than White Americans to be arrested for marijuana possession, though the usage rate is the same.
When stopped by the police, Black drivers are 3 times more likely to be searched, and twice as likely to be arrested than White drivers.
Black Americans charged with a crime are twice as likely to be charged the maximum mandatory sentence as compared with Whites charged with similar crimes.
Education Disparities:
Non-white school districts get $23 Billion less funding than White school districts.
Among Black and White students with similar test scores, Black students were 54% less likely to be recommended for gifted education programs.
Black students are 3.8 times more likely than their white peers to receive one or more out of school suspensions.
Economic Disparities:
The median white family owns 41 times more wealth than the median Black family.
72% of White families own their own home, versus only 44% of Black families.
Black male executives earn $0.79 for every $1 a white male executive earns.
Identical resumes sent with different names found 50% more white-sounding names were called back than black-sounding names.
Health Disparities:
Black children are twice as likely to die of diabetes than White children.
Black children are 5 times as likely to die of asthma than White children.
Black infant mortality is 2.3 times higher than White infant mortality.
Black maternal mortality is 3.2 times higher than White maternal mortality.
Criminal Justice Disparities:
Black Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at 5.1 times the rate of White Americans.
Black Americans are 3.7 times more likely than White Americans to be arrested for marijuana possession, though the usage rate is the same.
When stopped by the police, Black drivers are 3 times more likely to be searched, and twice as likely to be arrested than White drivers.
Black Americans charged with a crime are twice as likely to be charged the maximum mandatory sentence as compared with Whites charged with similar crimes.
Education Disparities:
Non-white school districts get $23 Billion less funding than White school districts.
Among Black and White students with similar test scores, Black students were 54% less likely to be recommended for gifted education programs.
Black students are 3.8 times more likely than their white peers to receive one or more out of school suspensions.
Economic Disparities:
The median white family owns 41 times more wealth than the median Black family.
72% of White families own their own home, versus only 44% of Black families.
Black male executives earn $0.79 for every $1 a white male executive earns.
Identical resumes sent with different names found 50% more white-sounding names were called back than black-sounding names.
A Path Forward - Antiracism
It seems that almost every time social scientists compare White outcomes to Black outcomes, they find a disparity. These disparities almost always persist when controlling for other factors such as income. If Blacks are not biologically inferior to Whites, the only way to describe these disparities is systemic racism. Put another way, it is harder for Black Americans to achieve the same outcomes because the system is biased against them.
According to scholars such as Ibram X. Kendi, systemic racism is a difficult but solvable problem. The systemic nature of racism means that merely being "non-racist" will not change the system. We must instead make choices that actively counter the racist system, to be "anti-racist".
Antiracist actions can be as simple as choosing to shop at a black-owned business or as difficult as confronting racist thoughts or behaviors in yourself and your loved ones.
Learn more: Watch Ibram X. Kendi's TED talk
According to scholars such as Ibram X. Kendi, systemic racism is a difficult but solvable problem. The systemic nature of racism means that merely being "non-racist" will not change the system. We must instead make choices that actively counter the racist system, to be "anti-racist".
Antiracist actions can be as simple as choosing to shop at a black-owned business or as difficult as confronting racist thoughts or behaviors in yourself and your loved ones.
Learn more: Watch Ibram X. Kendi's TED talk
Are you ready to join the fight against system racism?
Here are some direct actions you can take, and ways you can support those already in the fight.
Here are some direct actions you can take, and ways you can support those already in the fight.
