Systemic racism is a corrosive and widespread problem, and we all need to do a better job of confronting it
TURBAT: The killing of George Floyd at the hands of the police suggests that apartheid is still deeply rooted in the American society. It is extremely surprising that the US Administration is branding its own protesters as domestic terrorists, anti-fascists and trouble-makers. The fact of the matter is that the country is still entangled in a web of racism, ethnic violence, discrimination and social inequality which is evident from the wealth disparity and growing inequality that exists between the upper, middle and lower classes.
While Barack Obama’s presidency was indeed a profound and meaningful mark of true progress, racism, on the other hand, never really went away. The presence of a black president is indeed exciting, but it cannot reverse the centuries of racial injustice the black people have had to undergo. In fact, racism is built right into the very foundations of the American society in ways that hide its true perilous nature. This is why most people do not believe in such a notion as they are unaware of how such ideas function beneath the façade of society. Racism of this kind, that infects the very structure of our society, is called systemic racism which at first glance may be difficult to detect. However, one can always follow the chain of events that have been brought about since the election of Donald Trump: hate crimes have been on the rise, white supremacists have gained more confidence, and anti-immigrant rhetoric has intensified. Systemic racism persists in schools, offices, court system, police departments and in all other systems that citizens are forced to abide by.
Think about it: when white people occupy the most powerful positions of decision-making, people of colour always have a difficult time surviving. Systemic racism is a corrosive and widespread problem, and we all need to do a better job of confronting it by speaking up and calling people out. The system needs to change
Jakkaran Musa
Published in The Express Tribune, June 11th, 2020.
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