Systemic and Institutional Racism: Its not just about you(in particular)...

[Humanist_Activist]

You know, the recent blowup in laws bills and rhetoric from the right wing and moderates trying to ban Critical Race Theory in public schools is alarming on 2 distinct levels, the first being its a gross interference of politicians into education, something that already happens far too often, and also that its opposing not CRT, but perpetuating awareness of systems of discrimination that exist in this country, and around the world.

This is key, CRT is about studying how systems of oppression are perpetuated on a societal level and adversely affect marginalize groups based on race. Nearly every critique I've seen about CRT from those leaning right have atomized it and mischaracterized it as something like "White People Bad". Which is fucking dumb, and the complete opposite of what is actually posited. Straight up lies to make it seem ridiculous, not to mention a hyper-focus on laypeople who inarticulately criticize racism doesn't help, and then claiming these are related to CRT, somehow.

Being an offshoot of legal studies, there is a focus on laws, as makes sense, those are the most obvious way discrimination can manifest itself, though other systemic issues can perpetuate as well in extralegal contexts.

Here's a few simple examples of systemic oppression that were designed, ultimately, to adversely affect black people over white people, the crack/cocaine sentence disparities, discriminatory policing, the War on Drugs itself, etc. Many of these are NOT issues that have since been resolved, but rather perpetuate into the present day.

Outside of legal institutions, you have other methods, such as economically, made much simpler due to an entire population having a much more difficult time being able to accumulate wealth, and where multi-generational wealth was literally illegal for a long time. This lowers liquidity and credit scores, hence why financial institutions can and do discriminate against black people in loans, charging more in interest or outright denying them, particularly in real estate. The only difference between doing it today versus before the 1960s is they don't put down in writing that black people need not apply. They sometimes get caught, and it is illegal, but they pay penalties that are a pittance compared to their earnings, so its simply the cost of doing business. Also, its too little, too late.

There are so many methods and systems used to discriminate and disadvantage black people in this country its ridiculous, and yes, everything from HOAs, to discrimination in employment based on naming conventions, etc. But here's the thing, as a white person, you aren't responsible for this shit on an individual level, what you can do is be actively anti-racist, its not enough to just not say the n-word, but to be vocal about how fucked up things are in this country, and act on it. And please, for the love of all that is holy, don't be a disingenuous know-it-all who doesn't understand what is being discussed in the first place.

[ShazamIam]

1. I am surprised at the percentage of my fellow citizens who refuse to understand how thoroughly

entrenched and institutional racism is in the U.S. And traditional from the beginning with the destruction of Native Americans, the exclusion laws, and the big monster in the house, a false belief that all together we are and always have been a nation of fair minded people, never mind the reality.

[Solly Mack]

2. And, there exist much data on racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

As well as evidence of racial disparities across the board in society (housing, jobs, education etc..)

CRT isn't some idea made from whole cloth. Like some are trying to claim.

[StarfishSaver]

3. Excellent OP

I'm glad you raised the example of multi-generational wealth. That is a critical example of systemic racism that continues to operate today without anyone having to actively or knowingly discriminate.

In the post WWII years, the government incentivized wealth-building through homeownership with low cost and easily qualified loans that enabled people to buy homes cheaply and build equity quickly. But those loans were often off-limits to minority families because of blatant and usually explicit discriminatory practices such as redlining and government-sanctioned segregation. As a result, white families were easily able to move into the middle class, build savings, create family wealth, etc. while Black families continued to struggle. Even though those policies are no longer legal, their impacts are deeply rooted. Among other things, Black Americans are generations behind in building wealth, even where their incomes have caught up with whites.

[brush]

7. All of what you said. And then there is the huge elephant...

in the room, the original multi-generation wealth inhibitor, the hundreds of years of stolen, dawn-to-dusk, uncompensated labor of enslaved Black people, which of course left no savings or property to be left to generation after generation after generation of Black people.

We basically had to start from scratch after the Emancipation Proclamation with nothing but the clothes on our backs, but we persisted without the promise 40 acres and a mule.

If the unpaid millions of hours of stolen labor had to be repaid using the principle of compounding where wealth doubles every seven years, it would more than break the US Treasury.

[Humanist_Activist]

8. Exactly, a huge amount of wealth was created in those years, and it was not...

distributed fairly or equitably, and this was done on purpose, by policy makers, a blatant example of institutional racism that still perpetuates to this day in many ways.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. K&R.

[malaise]

5. Thanks for a great OP

Rec

[brush]

6. Thanks so much for posting, H.A. Being actively anti-racist...

is how allies can help Blacks and other POCs.