apihtawikosisan:sipala:James BaldwinSystemic racism is hard to prove because it infiltrates every in
apihtawikosisan:sipala:James BaldwinSystemic racism is hard to prove because it infiltrates every institution and policy. It is the sum of many little actions, many of them even appearing to be well meaning. Systemic racism isn’t the KKK burning crosses on your lawn. That is obvious racism. Systemic racism is the way the police take their time arriving when you call them to your home when the KKK are burning that cross. Systemic racism is the lack of effort put into the investigation, and the suggestion that the attack was actually gang related, whether your family has any gang affiliations or not. Systemic racism is the way no witnesses come forward to name the men who terrorized you and your family, even though some of those men have been bragging about it in bars. Systemic racism is the way the media sympathizes with these men when they finally are caught (if they are caught), humanizing them on the news and interviewing sobbing friends and relatives about how burning crosses is just not something these nice boys would ever do. Systemic racism is the collection of thousands of dollars for their legal fund from people across the country who don’t believe these men did such a thing. Systemic racism is the DA making the decision to plea bargain a lesser sentence of mischief for a couple of the men while the rest get off free, no charges laid at all. Systemic racism is you having to see these smug fucks and all their supporters every time you dare leave your house. Systemic racism is having the cops pay you special attention for a long time after, getting tickets for minor traffic offences, maybe even having your home raided in a ‘drug bust’, because after all, plenty of people still think it was a gang related incident.Every single one of those things can be explained away as not racism. Only when you see the larger picture, can it become clearer, and avoiding the big picture is what systemic racism does best. -- source link
#anti-racism