Systemic Racism: What Does It Mean?
What is it? Why is it important to know about? How is it presented in our world?
Racism, simple as may seem when broken down, is a complex concept that continues to exist and takes many different forms in the — albeit more progressive than ever before — still-inequitable world of today.
It is important to know and understand the different types of racism and discrimination so that we can work together to combat the prejudice ingrained within our global society. Racism takes many forms, and one of these is that of systemic racism.
Systemic racism includes the policies and practices ingrained in established societies, which result in the exclusion or promotion of certain designated groups.
It manifests itself in two ways:
- Institutional racism: racial discrimination that derives from individuals carrying out and continuing the prejudiced principles/morals of others.
- Structural racism: inequalities rooted in the system-wide operation of a society that excludes considerable numbers of members of particular groups from significant participation in major social institutions.
Some forms of systemic racism may be more explicit or easier (for some) to identify than others: the Indian Residential School System in Canada; Jim Crow Laws in the US; the exclusion of African-American golfers from elite, private golf courses in the US; the way that "universal suffrage" did not include Indigenous North American women (nor did Indigenous men receive the vote until 1960, unless they gave up their status/identity as Indigenous).
Other forms or manifestations of systemic racism may not be as readily obvious to some, especially those privileged by the system. Fortunately, individuals can be anti-racist within, and despite, systems and institutions that are systemically racist.
Systemic racism is also often confused with systematic racism, and not unwarrantedly; the two have very similar names, as well as nearly identical-sounding definitions. However, there are unquestionably certain differences between systemic and systematic.
According to Merriam-Webster, “systematic” means “relating to or consisting of a system.” An alternate definition is “methodical in procedure or plan.” This is to say, systematic implies a thorough series of steps that you follow.
“Systemic” means “of, relating to, or common to a system.” This does sound a lot like the definition of systematic; however, in the context of racism, the appropriate sub-definition is “fundamental to a predominant social, economic, or political practice.”
In other words, while systematic applies to an approach, systemic applies to the system itself. Systemic is not related to a series of steps. It is a quality built into the system, not quite intentionally, but more “that’s just the way it works.”
Systemic racism damages lives, restricting access and capacity for contribution. It damages the ethical society we aspire to create. When white people scoop all the awards, it reinforces a message that other cultures are just not quite good enough.
It is crucial to be anti-racist and anti-prejudiced so that we can progress as a society; for example, we all have implicit biases that we are unaware of. Consciously working on changing these stereotypes is one way to be anti-racist; speaking up when others are being bigoted and educating yourself more on issues related to racism are just a few of the others.
OYIS is an international school; we should all be international-minded and open to new perspectives. Public advocacy is critical — speaking up is essential. Racism is more than an individual issue.
You could be affected by racism, your classmates and teachers could be affected by racism, and a stranger on the street could be affected by racism; it is important to know when to step in and defend people.
A prime example of it is the systemic racism that takes place in hiring processes. Though many companies have diversity policies, and many people involved in these companies want a more representative workforce, said companies are still predominantly white.
This is because white people tend to feel more comfortable when working around individuals that are most like themselves; due to this divide and disassociation, institutions usually hire their employees in a way that maintains the status quo.
When systemic injustices remain unspoken or accepted, an unethical white privilege is upheld. When individuals and groups point out systemic injustices and inequities, the dominant culture is made accountable.
