How Systemic Racism is Real

Have you ever wondered why certain neighborhoods are have more poverty than others? Why you see more police in certain neighborhoods where Black and people of color reside? Why there are more arrest for weed possession than other substances like Molly and X?  Why schools in certain neighborhoods  where Black and people of color reside have very low ratings, are less funded, and more police patrol?  The WHY is Systemic Racism that has been going on for decades and still resides today.  In this blog, I will touch base on what Systemic Racism is, provide examples and stats and close with what you can do to help DISMANTLE SYSTEMIC RACISM! 

What is Systemic Racism? 

Systemic racism describes how discriminatory actions show up in the American educational system, the economic system, the health care system, the criminal justice system, and more. It refers to the social structures, policies, practices, and institutions that oppress Black Americans and people of color.

Here are some examples of Systemic Racism ... 

Housing Discrimination

(Zoning Laws and Redlining)

• Zoning laws in the U.S. originated in the early 20th century, and for many cities, these zoned areas were specifically segregated by race. Areas that were less desirable or more industrial were constrained to areas for racial minorities.

• Redlining was a process in which the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC), a federal agency, gave neighborhood ratings to guide investment. Communities of Color were deemed the "red" areas or "riskiest". Redlining was an explicitly discriminatory policy that made it hard for residents to get loans for homeownership or maintenance, and led to cycles of disinvestment.

Employment

• Black unemployment is usually about twice as high as white unemployment for over the past 60 years; even for Black college graduates

• If you just apply for a job with a white-sounding name, you're 50% more likely to get a callback than with a Black sounding name

Policing

(Racial Profiling and Bias)

Black Americans are nearly 3 times more likely than white Americans to be killed by police and 5 times more likely than white Americans to be killed unarmed, according to the Mapping Police Violence database, which has tracked police killings in the USA since 2013.

Education

(School to Prison Pipeline)

• Black students are 3.5 times more likely to be suspended than white students, even when their infractions are similar. Suspension sets the child back and gives them a bad reputation.
• The public school system sees black and brown children as violent, disruptive, unpredictable future criminals. About 70% of students arrested in schools and referred to law enforcement are black.

Incarceration

In 2018, Blacks represented 33% of the sentenced prison population, nearly triple their 12% share of the U.S. adult population. Whites accounted for 30% of prisoners, about half their 63% share of the adult population. Latinx accounted for 23% of inmates, compared to 16% share of their U.S. adult population. Over 6.2 % of Black adults are disenfranchised compared to 1.7% of the non-Black adult population; which also affects their right to vote.

Wealth Gap

Centuries of white privilege have made it particularly difficult for people of color to achieve racial economic security. According to Inequality.Org research, the median White family has 41 times more wealth than the median Black family & 22 times more wealth than the median Latinx family.

Immigration Policy

Although undocumented people come to the US from all over the world, Latinx immigrants from Mexico, Central, and South Americans are the most targetted and suffer more from heavy-handed enforcement policies, such as the separation of children, that ruin and tear families apart.

Drug Arrests

In 2018, 40% of drug arrests in the US were for possession of marijuana, and although White and Black Americans are about equally likely to use marijuana, Blacks are 3.7 more likely to be arrested for it. Even if they don't get convicted of a crime that arrest can stay on their record and affect their chances at good jobs, housing, and bank loans for the rest of their lives.

Health Care Systems

• BIPOC* are subject to additional stressors, resource limitations, and external constraints.
• Feelings of racial discrimination can lead to higher levels of psychological distress, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression, according to the American Psychological Association.
• BIPOC* are more likely to live in poverty and have more pollution exposure
• A 2016 study by PNAS, reported that Black people were significantly less likely to receive adequate pain management medication, because of the false belief (held by almost 75% of medical professional participants in the study) that Black people have a higher pain tolerance than other races.

Infant Mortality

• Blacks have 2.3 times the infant mortality rate as whites**.
• Black infants are 3.8 times as likely to die from complications related to low birth weight compared to white** infants.
• Blacks had over twice the sudden infant death syndrome mortality rate as whites**, in 2017.
• In 2017, Black mothers were 2.3 times more likely than white** mothers to receive late or no prenatal care.

 What you can do to help

• Use your sphere of influence for change and progression
• Acknowledge that systemic racism actually exists
• Get involved with organizations that are fighting it
• Elect Leaders & Policymakers who won't reinforce or support structurally racist policies
• Donate to anti-racist causes
• Do your research and stay aware

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