Broadening the Narrative: Systemic Racism Series Introduction

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

For the next several months, I will publish a post on the first Sunday of the month that focuses on systemic racism. I will define terms in today’s post in an attempt to lay a foundation to build upon here for any readers who are interested in following this series.

I want to begin by acknowledging there are people that will refuse to believe racism is systemic in the United States, even though Ben & Jerry’s posted on their website “7 Ways We Know Systemic Racism Is Real.” I have heard one excuse after another in rapid succession, and I will not expend energy trying to achieve the impossible. This series is not for those people, just as Ibram X. Kendi explained in Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America that his book was about, but not for, “close-minded, cunning, captivating producers of racist ideas” (Kendi, 2016, p.11). But for those who are seeking to be better educated and equipped to dismantle the power that is maintained by whiteness as a system, I want to share what I have learned.

There are a few additional points that I think are important to clarify. First, the people I am learning from are not saying that no progress has been made regarding race in the United States. However, I believe it was Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile who said something to the effect of, “Electing a black president is a measure of progress but not a sign of the end of all injustices.” Second, the last thing I want is to heap shame or guilt on anyone. We may feel shame and guilt, but we can move past those together. As Latasha Morrison wrote in her new book Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation, “Shame and guilt are powerful motivators. In the context of racial reconciliation, shame and guilt often compel majority culture to cover up and whitewash sins. A sense of shame may prompt non-White groups to hide generational humiliation too (a feeling all minorities I speak with understand). But to build bridges of racial reconciliation, we’ll need to confront the guilt and shame of our collective past (Morrison, 2019, p.67). Lastly, Jemar Tisby wrote in The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism, “The following suggestions may seem extreme to some, but they are merely proportional to the effort and intentionality that many Christians in America lent to building racial divisions in the first place” (Tisby, 2019, p.197). From a place of humility, I am hoping to convey that there is always work we can be doing to repair damage and usher in the Kingdom of God here on earth. Let’s begin.

Terms

(All definitions are from the “Lexicon: Common Language & Terms” from the Brownicity What LIES Between Us Journal & Guide: Fostering First Steps Toward Racial Healing. Visit http://brownicity.com/learn/ to join Brownicity.)

“Social and Institutional Power: 1. Access to resources 2. The ability to influence others 3. Access to decision-makers to get what you want done 4. The ability to define reality for yourself and others”

“System: 1. A set of things that together make a whole 2. An established way of doing something, such that things get done that way regularly and are assumed to be the ‘normal’ way things get done 3. Runs by itself; does not require planning or initiative by a person or group”

“Prejudice: An attitude based on limited information, often on stereotypes. Prejudice is usually, but not always, negative. Positive and negative prejudices alike are damaging because they deny the individuality of the person. No one is free of prejudice.”

“Race: ‘A specious classification of human beings created by Europeans during a period of worldwide colonial expansion, using themselves as the model for humanity, for the purpose of assigning and maintaining white skin access to power and privilege.’ (Dr. Maulana Karenga) 1. Race is not biologically real - it is socially and politically constructed via law, public policy and social practices. 2. While it is a dynamic phenomena rooted in political struggle, it is commonly observed as a fixed characteristic; while it does not exist in terms of human biology, people routinely look to the human body for evidence about racial identity.”

“Racism: 1. Racism involves one group having the power to carry out systematic discrimination through the major institutions of society. 2. Social and institutional power + race prejudice 3. System of advantage and oppression based on race 4. A white supremacy system supported by an all-class collaboration called ‘white’ created to end cross-racial labor solidarity / Racism is different from racial prejudice, hatred, or discrimination. Racism is a system. Categories & Levels: 1. Systemic • Institutional - social institutions, e.g. government, courts of law, banks, schools. • Structural - public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and other norms work to perpetuate racial group inequity. 2. Individual • Interpersonal - occurs between individuals • Internalized - racist attitudes towards members of their own ethnic group, including themselves”

“Anti-racism: The policy or practice of opposing racism”

What to Expect in this Series

In future posts on the first Sunday of each month, my goal is to expound on history and data to demonstrate the systemic nature of racism in various institutions and structures in the United States. These will include whiteness, wealth, employment, education, the justice system, housing, surveillance, healthcare, the environment, media, politics, and the Christian church. I hope to give action steps for myself and readers and provide additional resources for becoming antiracist.

As I look at the Equal Justice Initiative calendar and read it to my kids, I see that every single day conveys at least one injustice, usually based on race. These are past and present injustices, spanning hundreds of years, demonstrating that racism in this country is not simply an individual problem. Rather, racism is a systemic problem, infecting institutions and structures. Further, this problem centers around justice, therefore it's a problem God is concerned about, which means I must be concerned. In my opinion, systemic racism is not solely a political issue but also a spiritual issue. I am called to love my neighbor, and one way I can do this is by joining the fight to dismantle systems of oppression so that all people can flourish.

(Resources are linked below.)

The Witness: A Black Christian Collective

Where Change Started

Black Lives Matter

Brownicity

White Allies in Training

Videos to View

“What is Systemic Racism?" Video Series
(Rinku Sen introduces the series that features Jay Smooth)

“What is: Privilege” (Kat Blaque)

The Next Question Video Web Series (Hosted and produced by Austin Channing Brown,
Jenny Booth Potter, and Chi Chi Okwu)

“5 Things You Should Know About Racism”
(MTV Decoded with Franchesca Ramsey)

MTV Decoded with Franchesca Ramsey