Systemic Racism
Trump posted a racist tweet, showing the heads of Barak and Michelle Obama on Monkeys. He won’t apologize for this. Many Trump Republican supporters refuse to call him out for this. This is a good time to revisit sracism and ystemic racism.
Defining Racism and Systemic Racism
In his book, ‘Faces at the Bottom of the Well”, Derrick Bell defines racism as “individual, structural, political, economic, and social forces that serve to discriminate against and disadvantage people of color on the basis of their race for the purpose of maintaining White dominance and power” (Derrick Bell, 1992 ).
Systemic racism must be differentiated from racist acts. A racist act involves discrimination, bigotry, hatred, violence, or pejoration that is directed against one or more individuals and is based on race. While racist acts are a result of racism, a myopic conception of racism deflects responsibility and diminishes the full understanding of this term (Blanchett, 2006).
The Apple Theory
Some insist that racism is simply the actions of “a few bad apples”. That racism is just a few bad apples here and there. According to this apple theory, ending racism is simply a matter of apple hunting. But the apple theory ignores and serves to cover up the larger systemic suppression and oppression of minority populations used by those with economic and political power to maintain that power.
Defining Systemic Racism
Systemic racism is that which serves to disadvantage and restrict people in color in ways that advance the interests of those in power (who, by the way, are overwhelming white males). Systemic racism creates and maintains a racial hierarchy that provides advantage to the white majority in terms of opportunities and resources (Kohli, Pizarro, & Nevarez, 2019). Specifically, there’s a finger on the scale to ensure that the dominant class has continued access to better jobs, loans, housing, schools, teachers, and health care, and that they are treated differently by the criminal justice system.
A System
Racism exists within the context of a societal system. According to systems theory – anything happening to one part of the system affects the whole. Included within our societal system are a variety of subsystems, each of which has been infected by the racism virus. These include legal systems, prison systems, economic systems, political systems, and educational systems. Racism is like a bit of poison in the water tank. You cannot drink a single cup and expect it not to be tainted.
Our society is tainted. The Tainter-in-Chief continues to pour poison in our national water well. He’s polluting the world.
References
Bell, D.A. (1992) Faces at the bottom of the well: The permanence of racism. New York: Basic Books.
Blanchett, W. (2006). Disproportionate representation of African American students in special education: Acknowledging the role of White privilege and racism. Educational Research, 35 24-28.