In the wake of protests against police violence and the killings of Black and Brown people over the decades, the term “anti-racism” is popping up all over the place. What is anti-racism, and what does it mean to be anti-racist?
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What is structural or systemic racism?
When a society is designed in a way that unfairly reinforces and perpetuates discrimination against certain races, while benefitting others. These structures can include legal, housing, medical, educational, economic, and political systems.
What’s an example of systemic racism?
Between 2012 and 2016, Black males convicted of a crime received sentences — on average — 19 percent longer than white males convicted of essentially the same crime. Perhaps black offenders don’t make as much money as white offenders and so they can’t afford good lawyers. Maybe black people get judges that hand down stricter sentences. Maybe it’s both. But that’s the point. Society has been structured in a way that hurts black people harder. And it largely stems from one of the darkest stains on American history — slavery.