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- African American History
- Structural & Systemic Racism
African American History
Systemic Racism 
Defining Systemic Racism
A system in which public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and other norms work in various, often reinforcing ways to perpetuate racial group inequity. It identifies dimensions of our history and culture that have allowed privileges associated with “whiteness” and disadvantages associated with “color” to endure and adapt over time. Structural racism is not something that a few people or institutions choose to practice. Instead it has been a feature of the social, economic and political systems in which we all exist.
- From the Aspen Institute (linked and cited below)
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash (click to enlarge)
Featured websites & collections
Racism can be seen in all areas of life from housing, education, criminal justice, health care, employment & income, food security, and voting rights, and even life expectancy. Consider the resources below to learn more.
- Black Lives MatterBlack Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Inc. is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.
- Dismantling Racism Works Web Workbook"This website is a web-based version of a workbook designed originally to support the Dismantling Racism workshop offered by Dismantling Racism Works, a training collaborative"
- Equal Justice Initiative"The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society."
- Fair Fight Initiative" Through awareness, education, advocacy, and litigation, the Fair Fight Initiative empowers, legally defends, and protects those directly affected by our broken criminal legal system with a vision to end mass incarceration and the systemic racism that drives America’s addiction to jails and prisons."
- Historical Foundations of RaceAn article with linked resources from the "Talking About Race" guide from the National Museum of African American History and Culture
- PBS: Systemic RacismFind articles, book reviews, videos, and other resources from PBS on the complex topic of racism
- The Race GapAn interactive slideshow from Reuters of information about the various areas of life and society that are impacted by systemic, structural racism
- Racial Equity InstituteFind free, online resources and readings from the REI, who aim to "help leaders and organizations who want to proactively understand and address racism, both in their organization and in the community where the organization is working."
- Racial Equity Tools"Racial Equity Tools is designed to support individuals and groups working to achieve racial equity. It offers tools, research, tips, curricula, and ideas for people who want to increase their understanding and to help those working for racial justice at every level – in systems, organizations, communities, and the culture at large. "
- The Racial Wealth AuditFrom the The Institute on Assets and Social Policy (IASP) - "The Racial Wealth Audit™ is a framework that yields a better understanding of how a policy or program might impact the racial wealth gap.
- Southern Poverty Law Center"The Southern Poverty Law Center is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society."
- World Economic Forum: Systemic RacismAn interactive timeline that shows areas of systemic racism from "Strategic insights and contextual intelligence from the World Economic Forum"
Systemic Racism 
Featured videos
Linked below are videos both freely online through websites like YouTube or TED, as well as from the library's collection in such databases as Kanopy, Films on Demand, or Academic Video Online. Click or hover your cursor over the icon to learn more about each item.
- Brown eyes and blue eyes Racism experiment Children Session - Jane ElliottA video posted by Mark Heckroth
- History of Systemic Racism in the US (Webinar)A webinar from Mental Health America Webinars, ~53-minutes
- Race Forward: What Is Systemic Racism?This is "an 8-part video series that shows how racism shows up in our lives across institutions and society: Wealth Gap, Employment, Housing Discrimination, Government Surveillance, Incarceration, Drug Arrests, Immigration Arrests, Infant Mortality… yes, systemic racism is really a thing."
- Left of BlackFrom the John Hope Franklin Center at Duke University - "Left of Black is a web series featuring interviews with Black Studies scholars created and hosted by James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of African and African American Studies Mark Anthony Neal."
- Why is white supremacy growing in the United States?A video from The Bottom Line from Al Jazeera English, ~25 minutes
- TED Talks: White Supremacy - Same Dog, Same Tricks-Time to Change the TrainingA talk by Russell Ellis at TEDxSUNYGeneseo
Systemic Racism 
Featured podcasts
Linked here are full podcasts or podcast episodes, as well as short audio recordings from news programs such as National Public Radio (NPR) and the like.
- Black History Year [Podcast]"Black History Year connects you to the history, thinkers, and activists that are left out of the mainstream conversations."
- Broken Justice [Podcast]A podcast series from PBS NewsHour, that looks at "the crisis that is overwhelming Missouri’s public defender system and what it means for serving justice in America"
- Code Switch - NPRA podcast that talks about race and is hosted by journalists of color who "explore how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and everything in between."
- Fair Fight Initiative Podcast"Each episode we’ll speak to reformers, informers, and survivors of our broken system of justice in the United States, and hear how the Fair Fight Initiative is crowdsourcing justice for its victims. We’ll get updates on how to make change in the system in your community. And leave you with the infinite hope that we can end mass incarceration for future generations. "
- Can one person change the criminal justice system?An episode of the podcast "Next Question WIth Katie Couric"
- Pod For The Cause [Podcast]"We’ve joined the airwaves to help spark conversation and activism on some of the most critical issues of today. From the courts to immigration, we’re seeing unprecedented attacks on the values we hold near and dear. At Pod for the Cause, we’re going to tackle these issues and more."
- The United States of Anxiety [Podcast]From WNYC Studios "A show about the unfinished business of our history and its grip on our future."
- School Colors [Podcast]School Colors is a narrative podcast from Brooklyn Deep about how race, class, and power shape American cities and schools.
Sources used on this page:
Aspen Institute. (2016, July 11). [11 terms you should know to better understand structural racism]. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/ structural-racism-definition/
Featured Books & eBooks
Use the arrows to scroll through titles; click on the titles for more info and/or access
Addressing Issues of Systemic Racism During Turbulent Times
Reference, Gale Ebooks
Defining Key Concepts
Consider some of the online glossaries linked below to find definitions and examples of terms
- Racial Equity Tools GlossaryFind the definitions of a variety of terms in this glossary from the Racial Equity Tools website
Search Tips
Consider the following keywords when searching online or in the library's collections
- Systemic racism
- Structural racism
- Institutional racism
- Interpersonal racism
- Racial disparities
- Racial inequality
- Internalized racism
Racism in Higher Education
Looking for more information about the impacts of racism specifically in the education system? Consider the guide linked below. This guide is aimed at instructors, but has many resources looking at concepts of racism and higher education.
Except where otherwise noted, the content in these guides by Tacoma Community College Library is licensed under CC BY SA 4.0.
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