Systemic Racism In The United States

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Systemic racism, what is it? Systemic racism is the ingrained and institutionalized discrimination against certain racial or ethnic groups within societal systems and structures, leading to unequal treatment and outcomes. Now, in government, systemic racism can manifest in a variety of ways. For example, laws that appear fair and neutral on their face may have a disproportionate impact on certain groups. This can occur through various means, such as the enforcement of laws by law enforcement agencies, school funding, and even zoning laws. Systemic racism is a harmful issue that can be challenging to identify, and although some progress has been made, there is still much work to do. What can be done and what efforts must be made? For this, we …show more content…
According to CLASP, “Black labor has been foundational to the growth of America and our economy. Enslaved people built the country’s early infrastructure and produced lucrative commodities such as cotton and tobacco. After emancipation, African American labor was crucial in industry, agriculture, and service.” There were also specific laws targeting other racial groups. For example, the Indian Removal Act. What is the Indian Removal Act? According to the Library of Congress, “The Indian Removal Act was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830, authorizing the president to grant lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands within existing state borders. A few tribes went peacefully, but many resisted the relocation policy. During the fall and winter of 1838 and 1839, the Cherokees were forcibly moved west by the United States government. Approximately 4,000 Cherokees died on this forced march, which became known as the "Trail of Tears." Another law that targeted racial groups was the Chinese Exclusion Act. The National Archives website explains what this law was and what it did to these …show more content…
We stated how systemic racism plays a role in education, but as many problems this brings, there can be solutions to these effects. Yet again, policy reforms are essential to address the systemic racism in education. Policy that would help prioritize resources for underserved communities and diversify the curriculum to reflect diverse perspectives and experiences, having a curriculum that marginalizes communities can benefit from doing so. An example of combating disparities in education can be found in a Temple University article which stated, “One easy way would be to provide more funding for urban school districts by increasing the property taxes across the board for all city homeowners. That would mean that folks who are buying up cheaper houses in the cities to build them up and create value would also have to pay increased taxes to do so. Those taxes, based on their rising property values, would be invested into schools.” So, whether it is combating systemic racism in criminal justice, housing or education, there are ways to combat these