Day 6: Levels of Racism
“Americans believe in the reality of ‘race’ as a defined, indubitable feature of the natural world. Racism—the need to ascribe bone-deep features to people and then humiliate, reduce, and destroy them—inevitably follows from this inalterable condition. In this way, racism is rendered as the innocent daughter of Mother Nature, and one is left to deplore the Middle Passage or Trail of Tears the way one deplores an earthquake, a tornado, or any other phenomenon that can be cast as beyond the handiwork of men. But race is the child of racism, not the father.”
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me
With the first week behind us, we hope you have taken the opportunity to look inside yourself and expand your mind through the different challenges offered. As we move into week two, prepare to shift your focus from the personal reflection that we have been exploring to a broader view of racial equity and social justice.
Are you seeing and addressing how racism operates at different levels? Dr. Camara Jones, Senior Fellow at the Morehouse School of Medicine, notes that in order to address racism effectively, we have to understand how it operates at multiple levels. Often what we think of first and foremost is interpersonal racism. Once private beliefs come into interaction with others, racism is now in the interpersonal realm. Examples include public expressions of racial prejudice, hate, bias, and bigotry between individuals. Only seeing this level means that we fail to see the full picture that keeps the system of racism in place. The graphic below illustrates all the domains in which racism operates.
Source: Emanuel Gospel Center – 5 MIND-BLOWING REALITIES ABOUT RACE (THAT WHITE PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW)
Today’s Challenge
Watch: Check out this short video from Race Forward about the levels and the importance of looking at systemic, not simply individual, racism. (4:39)
Watch: Watch Dr. Jones’ TED talk on the “Allegories on Race and Racism” where she shares four short stories to help us understand privilege and racism. (20:31)
Read: Read a blog post by Cynthia Silva Parker, which gives an overview of four levels of racism and the need for a systemic approach to seeing and addressing oppression.
Discussion
We learned about the four levels of racism and the need for a systemic approach to seeing and addressing oppression.
Internalized– race-based beliefs and feelings within individuals
Interpersonal – bigotry and biases shown between individuals through word and action. Often the most common understanding of racism in our country.
Institutional – Discriminatory policies and practices within organizations and institutions.
Systemic – ongoing racial inequalities maintained by society.
How do these definitions compare with your personal understanding of racism?
What are some of the ways that you see racism playing out around you at various levels?
