What is structural racism and how does it differ
from systemic, institutional, or interpersonal racism? When hearing the word racism, many people
think of prejudicial beliefs or stereotypes about a racial group or acts of bigotry and
discrimination on the basis of race. Like when a landlord or employer rejects an application
based on negative views of an applicant's race. This is interpersonal racism. In this
scenario, there are four components, racist beliefs, a racist individual, a
target of the racism, and a racist act. Racism refers to the negative beliefs
or feelings the racist individual harbors. A racist act occurs when someone is
motivated to act on those beliefs or feelings. Interpersonal racism is the traditional way
we understand racism, but there are other more complex and in many ways, more impactful forms
of racism. One of them is called institutional racism, and crucially, it doesn't require
a racist individual or racist beliefs. Institutional racism refers to the ways that
many corporate, governmental, or organizational policies and practices produce racially
unequal outcomes within those institutions, even though those policies and practices may seem
neutral and appear to treat everyone the same. One historical example you may be familiar with
is the use of literacy tests as a qualification for voting in southern states. These tests were
superficially neutral, but in practice mostly denied African Americans the vote on account
of unequal educational opportunities. Today, institutional racism shows up in hiring practices
that automatically screen applicants based on past criminal records or require credentials and
certifications that aren't strictly necessary for job success. It is also found in certain
restrictive voting laws that require forms of identification some racial groups are less
likely to have. Or in proposals to eliminate early voting on Sunday, a time when many
black church goers are more likely to vote. Another type of racism is systemic racism, which
is broader than institutional racism. Systemic racism describes how racial inequities
can flow from one arena to another within a system of various institutions. Such as the
healthcare system or the criminal justice system. For example, in the public education
system, enrollment in underperforming or under-resourced elementary schools may lead
to unequal educational opportunities in middle school and beyond. And ultimately contribute
to racial disparities in admissions to colleges and universities. Just as racial disparities
and health insurance coverage contributes to unequal access to healthcare providers and
ultimately worse health outcomes over time. And when communities of color are over policed,
residents are disproportionately arrested and subsequently charged, convicted, sentenced,
and incarcerated at rates disproportionate to their white counterparts. This is what makes
it systemic. Racial disparities originating in one part spread throughout the entire system.
To review. Interpersonal racism occurs between individuals and features a racist act motivated
by racist beliefs. Institutional racism describes how certain seemingly race neutral institutional
policies and practices lead to racial disparities. And systemic racism describes how racial
disparities do not remain isolated within that institution, but can spread throughout an
entire system becoming an even larger problem. Now, let's examine the broadest view of racism,
structural racism, which looks beyond a single system to make sense of how entire systems
interact. Consider, for example, how residential housing segregation produces racially segregated
school systems because students are generally assigned to schools in their own neighborhoods and
communities. Or how high rates of Black and Latino incarceration disproportionately penalized people
of color in accessing jobs, housing, credit, and other critical services and opportunities due
to laws or policies that disadvantage formally incarcerated individuals. In essence, structural
racism encompasses all the other forms of racism, systemic, institutional, and interpersonal.
It can also help us understand how past discriminatory policies and unequal starting
positions can have present day effects. For example, certain forms of historical housing
discrimination, such as redlining or restrictive covenants, suppressed investments in communities
of color and reduced home value appreciation, contributing to contemporary racial disparities
in wealth and municipal tax spaces. This in turn reduces the quality of public services or
infrastructure in some cities and neighborhoods relative to others. At the same time, it
is important to remember that the larger forms of racism we've reviewed, systemic,
institutional, and structural do not rely on the actions of racist people or racist ideas
or beliefs. These forms of embedded racism can perpetuate racial inequality and exclusion
even without present day discrimination. Now, to remedy institutional racism, we must
identify policies and practices that perpetuate racial disparities even inadvertently, and change
them. To counter structural racism however, we must pursue policies that promote racial
equity and advance equal opportunity for all. This includes policies that provide public
services and goods such as safe drinking water, quality schools, healthy neighborhoods, housing,
transportation, and infrastructure. Otherwise, structural racism will continue and when systems
and structures reinforce inequality and exclusion, belonging cannot take root and bloom.
Ultimately, to build a world where all people feel a sense of belonging, we must understand
and work together to end racism in all its forms.
