OPINION

Column | In Black & White: Achieving racial equity requires confronting systems of power

Kyle Strickland
Guest columnist
Kyle Strickland

IN BLACK AND WHITE

This column series is part of an effort to help define key terms for a better understanding of race and racism wherever it occurs. Hear a podcast with Kyle Strickland here.

We are in a time of collective turmoil. The COVID-19 pandemic, nationwide protests against police violence and sustained attacks on our democracy have shaken our country to its core. But it is no accident that these crises weigh most heavily on Black and brown communities.

Systemic racism and longstanding inequities have plagued nearly every aspect of our society for centuries. To achieve racial equity, we must root out the racism that lives within all of our systems – from housing and criminal justice, to education, the economy, and health care. 

Black and Latinx communities are more likely to be infected and die from COVID-19 because of social inequities – the result of having less access to quality health care and a higher likelihood of being exposed to the virus, not being inherently more susceptible to it.

Black and Latinx workers also are more likely to work lower-wage essential jobs in close contact with others and rely on public transportation. These workers, who were experiencing economic insecurity before the pandemic, are facing even more economic hardships as a result of the recession. All the while, our nation’s social safety net remains inadequate to protect families from the widespread vulnerability and inequality exacerbated by COVID-19. 

The racial disparities and inequality that we see today are linked to our country’s legacy of slavery, white supremacy and systemic racism – the compounding harms of racist and discriminatory laws, policies and norms that create and maintain power for white society at the exclusion and exploitation of Black people and other marginalized groups. Reckoning with this legacy requires an understanding that racial inequality is the result of unequal structures and systems, not cultural deficits or a lack of personal responsibility.

Many Americans can generally recognize explicit and egregious forms of racist actions by individual actors. But most have difficulty grasping the concept of systemic racism and its consequences, perhaps looking to the gains made since the Civil Rights Movement as a sign of sufficient racial progress and equality.

While it is true that we have seen growing diversity and improved racial attitudes, there remains persistent racial discrimination and vast racial disparities in life outcomes for Black communities. It is clear that while changing hearts and minds is important, more emphasis must be placed on addressing the structural barriers and systems that continue to perpetuate injustice.

Throughout American history, Black people have consistently fought for a more equitable society. This fight has always been met with resistance and violent backlash. There are even some who see the gains and progress made by Black people and other marginalized groups as illegitimate or undeserving.

Today, we continue to witness assaults on the political power of Black communities through voter suppression efforts and baseless claims of voter fraud. And yet, it is Black Americans’ long battle for freedom and inclusion that has played a fundamental role in moving our nation closer toward truly living up to its founding ideals of equality for all.

Grassroots movements for racial justice will continue to lead the way toward building collective power, but we should not solely place the burden of overcoming inequality on the individuals facing persistent discrimination, violence, and oppression.

Here in Columbus, and across the country, we need to radically reimagine how we keep our communities safe, equitable, and prosperous. If those in positions of power truly believe in racial equity, they must examine their role in contributing to and maintaining unjust and unequal systems of power and oppression. Addressing racism requires going beyond signaling vague statements in support of racial solidarity or making incremental changes that largely maintain the status quo. 

We need advocates to use their privilege and power to implement transformative change. This means holding bad actors and institutions accountable, redistributing resources to communities that have historically been left behind, and fighting for more equitable systems that authentically include, center, and elevate marginalized voices. Words of support mean little without real accountability and action.

Kyle Strickland is the Senior Legal Analyst at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity at Ohio State University.