What Is Systemic Racism & What Can You Do About It?

Defining Systemic Racism

In the United States, systemic racism refers to the ways in which white superiority is ingrained in our cultural and governmental systems on a macro level. This can be either explicitly or implicitly. Systemic racism is also referred to as institutional racism or structural racism. It differs from the traditional understanding of racism in that it permeates societal norms rather than affects individual interactions on a one-on-one basis.

How Systemic Racism Affects People of Color

Systemic racism affects people of color by making it more difficult to participate in and succeed within our social systems as compared to a white person. This can include formal institutions like the education system or criminal justice system, but can also include looser institutions like the labor and housing markets.

The combined effect of systemic racism has resulted in a disparity in net worth, unemployment, health care, arrest rates, homelessness, and many others for Black Americans and other communities of color.

Wealth Gap

An enormous wealth gap exists between white Americans and the rest of the population, with white families, on average, possessing 10x the amount of wealth as black families. Furthermore, Black Americans make up 13% of the population but only represent 2.7% of the country’s wealth.

Systemic racism has played a historical role in creating this disparity via the institution of slavery – a system primarily designed to extract wealth from the black class and transfer it to the white class. Despite the fact that legalized slavery no longer exists in the United States, the economic and cultural impacts are still present.

Unemployment

Further contributing to the wealth gap, black unemployment rates are typically double that of white Americans. This is true across education levels, including up to the college-educated. Despite being qualified for a job, an applicant with a black sounding name is 50% less likely to get a call back compared to an applicant with a white sounding name.

This type of systemic racism excludes non-white Americans from effectively participating in the labor market, exacerbating disparities in wealth and decreasing the quality of life for people of color. Unemployment can also lead to homelessness, a problem that disproportionately affects black people and comes with its own history of systemic racism including redlining and over-policing.

Health Care

Childbirth is one specific area in which systemic racism affects the health care of people of color. Black women are 3x more likely to die during childbirth than white women and consistently receive inferior prenatal care if they receive any at all. Furthermore, black babies are 2.5x more likely to die before their 1st birthday than white babies.

This difference in outcome is due to a difference in care. Communities of color are more likely to suffer from physician shortages, hospital closures, and substandard care. These factors, among others, contribute to a lower life expectancy for Arican Americans and people of color as compared to white people.

How We Can Address Systemic Racism

Systemic racism, as its name implies, is far-reaching and deeply ingrained in our culture, which can make combatting it seem impossible. However, there is hope that significant changes can be made through community action.

Being educated on the topic and aware of its effects is an important first step, but isn’t the end of the road. True change will only come from a combination of education, advocacy, and action. SUSUSO is dedicated to the idea that your rights are strongest when voiced in public forums, such as the streets.

Stand up, speak up, and speak out when you encounter instances of systemic racism. Be an advocate for those who may not be able to do the same for themselves. Make sure that our policy-makers hear we will no longer tolerate systemic racism, and vote for those that have taken a stand against it.

Get Involved with SUSUSO

Stand Up! Speak Up! Speak Out! is a 501(c)3 nonprofit news, social action networking, and consultancy group for street civic engagement. We believe that ordinary people can effectively address the world’s biggest challenges.

If you’re interested in working with us to combat systemic racism, we encourage you to visit our Volunteer page or view our Calendar of upcoming events. We hope to speak with you soon!