To the editor:
Reading a recent letter from John Hagan in which he stated, “America is not a racist nation” I had the increasing realization that in our country we have a deep lack of knowledge of what the effects of systemic racism are and even what it actually is. Although we recognize that individual racism exists and is wrong, it does exist in historic and current patterns and practices that can be hard to recognize. An article by Caleb Ward (curiousrefuge.com) describes 64 examples that face Black Americans. A few highlights include:
• Predominantly black school districts receive far less financial funding than white school districts (ED Build);
• Black preschoolers are 3.6 times more likely to be suspended for the same behavior than white student (US Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights);
• The average Black college graduate leaves a public 4-year institution with 55% more debt than the average white college student (American Council on Education);
• Black Americans with “white sounding” names receive 50% more callbacks for job applications (National Bureau of Economic Research);
• Black homebuyers are more like to be denied an appointment with a real estate agent and are disproportionately steered to subprime loans even when the qualify for prime (US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development);
• Statistically, Black Americans receive harsher punishments for the same crime (University of Michigan Law Center);
• Black children are 18 times more likely be sentenced as adults as white children (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology);
• Black Americans are less likely to receive mental health services and treatment for depression (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
I share these facts, not to lay blame on any individual, but in the hopes that they serve as notice to all Americans that there are still many societal problems that need our attention, awareness, an action. These things, and many more are “systemic” because they are ingrained in our society in historic and practical ways that provide differences in ways groups of our fellow human beings experience and live their lives. We need to educate ourselves and our children in the hopes that our country will be better in the future.
A quote from Robert F, Kennedy rings so true:
“Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted, when we tolerate what we know to be wrong, when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy or too frightened, when we fail to speak up and speak out, we strike a blow against freedom and decency and justice.”
Jane McFerrin
Cleveland