I saw [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/FragileWhiteRedditor/comments/kyo25g/fwr_says_theres_no_such_thing_as_systemic_racism/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) Reddit post today and it sparked a few questions.
For context, I consider my self sort of knowledgeable of social justice issues, but I don’t understand this one that much.
The responding Redditor says that if you remove all the racists from a systemically racist system, the system still favors a certain ethnicity. I am in no way trying to argue this, and I don’t not think it’s true, I just don’t understand what systems are in place that are racist by design. I acknowledge that if it weren’t for my white privilege, I would probably know. I definitely think that the system is racist, but I always thought it was the people applying it unjustly, not the system itself.
Thanks
Edit: I understand this is a pretty common question and I should’ve better explained my question specifically as something like:
“I understand that many modern social systems are based on unjust, racist treatment of certain groups, be it slavery, Residential Schools, or otherwise. I understand that this has lasting impacts on our society, and these policies and practices continue to negatively impact minority communities to this day. It is evident to me that, for only one example, a racist judge, would apply harsher sentencing to a individual, due to their ethnicity.
My question specifically is, like the Redditor stated: How is it that, even once the racist individuals within the system are removed, the system still favors one ethnicity, and oppresses the other?”
Thanks to some very helpful, and precise replies I much better understand systemic racism as a whole, and my question is answered. Thanks to everyone who put in the time to explain.
In: Other
I think an example is of the police patrol in areas mostly Black people live (due to generational poverty). A cycle of more police catching more crime has built a situation where police easily circle the hood and catch weed charges while the suburbs and weathly neighborhoods do their pill transactions in peace. For example.
While it may seem Black people dont have it so bad right now, it’s only been a couple generations of even half-ass equal. And a whole lot of white people, their descendents, and their communities benefitted from being able to use Black work as loan collateral in building our system.
Lastly, police were formed to be slave catchers. Once slavery ‘ended,’ work still needed to be done so we just started calling slaves prisoners. Mass incarceration/justice is very big business, and prison labor/court/treatment industry is huge. To keep bodies flowing, it starts with child welfare then juvie then jail and prision. That whole system has a higher percentage of Black people than it should.
Anyway, that’s all I got off the top of my head.
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