Next on the agenda is systemic racism, otherwise called, structural or institutional racism. This refers to systems or structures that have procedures or processes that prevent or make it more challenging for people of color – African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and other minorities – to participate in society and the economy.
Systemic racism assumes white superiority individually, ideologically and institutionally. It encompasses a broad range of systems in place that create and maintain racial inequality in nearly every facet of life for people of color. It persists in our schools, offices, court system, police departments, and elsewhere, affecting job opportunity, pay, health and democracy.
The assumption of white superiority can pervade thinking consciously and unconsciously. It breeds the issue of unconscious bias – where people don’t realize they are being racist or see themselves as racist, but benefit from systems that privilege white faces and voices.
Systemic racism encompasses a wide range of racialized dimensions of our society – the racist framing, racist ideology, racist emotions, stereotyped attitudes, discriminatory habits and actions, and established racist institutions created over hundreds of years by whites.
These faults of the system aren’t something any individual can fix; it is the responsibility of organizations and governments. By making conscious effort to recognize the more insidious forms of racism, they can counter their very real impact on the employment chances, pay, health and political engagement of ethnic minorities.
There are many pieces of evidence of systemic racism at play in our society today. Data on social and economic welfare show disparities between persons of color and their white counterparts. The rate of unemployment for African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans are significantly higher than the national average.
The income inequality gap between whites and minorities is increasingly wider. The past six decades have also seen the black unemployment rate consistently double that of whites, irrespective of the economic situation at the time. Names can even influence employment opportunities. One Harvard study discovered that job candidates had a higher chance of getting an interview when they “whitened” their names.
People of color are also disadvantaged throughout every stage of the criminal justice system, despite glaring evidence of crimes being committed at nearly the same rates by other racial and ethnic groups. If a black and white person both commit a crime, the black person has a higher chance of being arrested. When a black person gets arrested, he is 20% more likely to be convicted and typically gets sentenced 20% longer than a white person who is arrested for the same crime.
The educational sector is also not devoid of the impact of systemic racism. Research shows that black students are three times more likely than white students to be suspended for the same infractions. In the world of healthcare, African Americans are the target of racial discrimination. A study carried out in 2012 showed that most doctors have “unconscious racial biases” when dealing with their black patients.
Systemic racism damages lives and hinders access and capacity for contribution. It cripples the ethical society we aspire to create. Public advocacy is critical, and speaking up is essential. When systemic injustices remain unspoken or accepted, an unethical white privilege is sustained. But when individuals and groups highlight systemic injustices and inequities, the dominant culture is made accountable.