How Systemic Racism Affects Black Americans: An Overview of the Problem 2023

Racism has been an enduring problem in the United States, and one of the communities impacted by it the most is Black Americans. Systemic racism refers to how institutions, policies, and practices are structured to perpetuate racial inequalities, particularly against Black Americans. In this article, we will explore how systemic racism affects Black Americans.

Legacy of Slavery and Jim Crow

The legacy of slavery and Jim Crow laws significantly impact Black Americans today. Slavery was a brutal and dehumanizing institution that lasted centuries in the United States. After slavery was abolished, Jim Crow laws were implemented, a system of laws and customs that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against Black Americans. The effects of these laws can still be seen in areas such as housing, education, and the criminal justice system.

For example, Black Americans were often denied access to quality housing in desirable areas due to redlining practices instituted by the federal government in the 1930s. Redlining involved marking specific neighborhoods as high-risk for investment, making it difficult for Black Americans to secure home loans. As a result, many Black Americans were forced to live in areas with high crime rates, poor quality housing, and limited access to essential services like healthcare and education. These effects are still being felt today because Black Americans are more likely to live in low-income areas with limited resource access.

The Wealth Gap

The wealth gap is one of the most significant ways systemic racism affects Black Americans. Black Americans have significantly less wealth than their white counterparts. The median white family has ten times the wealth of the median Black family. This wealth gap is due to various factors, including discriminatory housing policies, the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow laws, and wage disparities.

Black Americans have significantly less wealth than their white counterparts. According to the Institute for Policy Studies,, the median wealth of white households is 12 times higher than that of Black families (Institute for Policy Studies, 2020). Source: https://inequality.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Billionaires-and-Millionaires-Report-2020_FINAL_4.pdf

Black Americans are less likely to own homes and accumulate wealth through homeownership than their white counterparts. According to a report by the National Association of Realtors, the homeownership rate for Black Americans is 44%, compared to a homeownership rate of 73% for white Americans (National Association of Realtors, 2021). Source: https://www.nar.realtor/blogs/economists-outlook/2021/02/23/the-state-of-housing-in-black-america

Homeownership: Homeownership is one of the main drivers of wealth in the United States. However, Black Americans are less likely to own homes than White Americans. In 2019, the homeownership rate for White households was 73.7%, while for Black families, it was only 44% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). This disparity is partly due to historical discriminatory housing policies, such as redlining, which prevented Black Americans from buying homes in specific neighborhoods.

Income: Income also plays a significant role in the wealth gap. In 2019, the median household income for Black Americans was $45,438, while for White Americans, it was $68,703 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). This income gap is partly due to systemic racism and discrimination, which have limited opportunities for education, employment, and entrepreneurship for Black Americans.

Savings and Investments: Another factor in the wealth gap is savings and investments. Black Americans are less likely to have savings and investment accounts, such as 401(k)s and IRAs, than White Americans. According to a 2020 National Bureau of Economic Research survey, only 67% of Black respondents reported having a savings account, compared to 82% of White respondents (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2020). Similarly, a 2019 study by the Federal Reserve found that only 33% of Black Americans owned stocks or mutual funds, compared to 61% of White Americans (Federal Reserve, 2019).

Inheritance: Inheritance is another critical factor in the wealth gap, as it allows families to pass on wealth from one generation to the next. However, Black Americans are less likely to inherit wealth than White Americans. According to a 2015 Institute for Policy Studies study, the median inheritance for White households was $177,000, while for Black families, it was only $38,000 (Institute for Policy Studies, 2015). This disparity is due in part to historical wealth inequality and discriminatory inheritance practices.

These examples demonstrate the significant and persistent wealth gap between Black Americans and White Americans, rooted in systemic racism and discrimination. Addressing the wealth gap will require systemic changes, such as policies that promote equitable access to education, housing, and employment opportunities, as well as efforts to address historical injustices and provide reparations for past harm.

Education

Education is another area where systemic racism affects Black Americans. Black Americans are likelier to attend underfunded schools with fewer resources and lower-quality teachers. This lack of access to quality education can lead to lower test scores, reduced job opportunities, and lower wages. Only 15% of Black Americans hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 30% of white Americans.

Black students are more likely to attend underfunded schools and have less access to advanced coursework than their white counterparts. In fact, schools that serve primarily Black and Latino students receive $23 billion less in funding than schools that serve primarily white students (EdBuild, 2019). Source: https://edbuild.org/content/23-billion

Black students are likelier to be suspended and expelled than their white counterparts. According to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Black students comprise 15% of students but represent 39% of students suspended from school (U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, 2016). Source: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/2013-14-crdc-snapshot.pdf

School Funding: One of the most significant issues in education is unequal funding for schools. School funding is often tied to local property taxes, meaning schools in wealthy areas have more resources than low-income neighborhoods. This results in disparities in school quality, teacher salaries, and student outcomes. For example, in 2018, the Chicago Public Schools faced a budget shortfall of $544 million, which led to teacher layoffs, program cuts, and larger class sizes (Chicago Tribune, 2018). Meanwhile, in more affluent districts, schools may have state-of-the-art facilities and technology, smaller class sizes, and more experienced teachers.

Segregation: Another issue in education is school segregation, which can lead to disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes. Although segregation in schools has been illegal since the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, many schools remain highly segregated along racial and socioeconomic lines. For example, a 2018 report by the Civil Rights Project at UCLA found that New York City has one of the most segregated school systems in the country, with many Black and Latino students attending schools with high levels of poverty and limited resources (Civil Rights Project at UCLA, 2018).

Achievement Gap: The achievement gap refers to the disparity in academic achievement between different groups of students, often along the lines of race and socioeconomic status. For example, a 2021 report by the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that, on average, Black and Hispanic students scored lower on reading and math assessments than White students (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2021). This achievement gap is partly due to systemic educational system inequalities, such as unequal funding, segregation, and implicit bias.

School Discipline: School discipline policies can also contribute to educational inequities. For example, Black students are more likely to be suspended or expelled than White students, even for minor offenses. In 2019, a Black high school student in Florida was arrested and charged with felony assault after she used a plastic butter knife to cut a piece of fruit, an incident that critics said highlighted the harsh and punitive nature of zero-tolerance policies (CNN, 2019).

Employment

Employment is another area where systemic racism affects Black Americans. Black Americans are more likely to experience unemployment, and when they are employed, they often earn lower wages than their white counterparts. The unemployment rate for Black Americans is consistently higher than that of white Americans. In addition, Black Americans are more likely to work in lower-paying jobs and have limited access to career advancement opportunities.

The unemployment rate for Black Americans is consistently higher than that for white Americans, regardless of education level. In December 2020, the unemployment rate for Black Americans was 9.9% compared to 6.0% for white Americans (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021). Source: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t02.htm

Black Americans are more likely to work in lower-paying jobs and have limited access to career advancement opportunities. According to a report by the National Urban League, Black Americans are overrepresented in low-wage occupations such as food service, retail, and personal care and underrepresented in higher-paying fields such as management, business, and finance (National Urban League, 2020). Source: https://nul.org/news/state-black-america-2020-unmasked

Racial Discrimination: One of the most significant issues in employment is racial discrimination. Despite laws prohibiting discrimination in the workplace, many workers still face discrimination based on their race. For example, a 2020 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that job applicants with “Black-sounding” names were less likely to receive callbacks for job interviews than applicants with “White-sounding” names (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2020). Additionally, workers of color are more likely to face wage discrimination, limited opportunities for advancement, and workplace harassment.

Wage Inequality: Another issue in employment is wage inequality, particularly for women and workers of color. On average, women earn 82 cents for every dollar earned by men, and the wage gap is even more significant for women of color. Latina women, for example, earn 54 cents for every dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic men (National Women’s Law Center, 2021).Wage inequality can lead to economic instability, limited job opportunities, and a cycle of poverty.

Job Insecurity: Many workers also face job insecurity, including temporary or contract work, unstable schedules, and limited benefits. For example, a 2020 study by the Economic Policy Institute found that 1 in 6 workers in the United States is employed in a nonstandard work arrangement, such as temporary or contract work, and that these workers are more likely to experience wage and benefit disparities (Economic Policy Institute, 2020). Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the precarious nature of many jobs, as millions of workers were laid off or furloughed due to the economic downturn.

Occupational Segregation: Occupational segregation is the phenomenon of certain occupations being dominated by specific demographic groups, often along the lines of race and gender. For example, women are more likely to work in lower-paying occupations such as caregiving and service jobs, while men are more likely to work in higher-paying fields such as technology and finance. Similarly, workers of color are often concentrated in low-wage, low-skilled jobs with limited opportunities for advancement. This can lead to wage disparities and limited access to economic mobility.

Healthcare

Healthcare is another area where systemic racism affects Black Americans. Black Americans have higher rates of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease than their white counterparts. These disparities are due to various factors, including limited access to healthcare services, lower quality healthcare, and discrimination within the healthcare system.

Black Americans have higher rates of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease than their white counterparts. According to the National Institutes of Health, Black Americans have a 60% higher prevalence of diabetes, a 40% higher prevalence of hypertension, and a 30% higher prevalence of obesity than white Americans (National Institutes of Health, 2021). Source: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/minority-health/majority-populations

Black Americans are more likely to die from COVID-19 than any other racial or ethnic group in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the age-adjusted COVID-19 death rate for Black Americans is 2.8 times higher than the death rate for white Americans (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Source: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#race-ethnicity

Access to Healthcare: One of the most significant issues in healthcare is access to care, particularly for low-income individuals and communities of color. For example, a study by the Commonwealth Fund found that in 2018, 29% of adults who were uninsured for a time during the year reported not filling a prescription, not seeing a doctor when sick, or skipping a recommended medical test or treatment because of the cost (Commonwealth Fund, 2018). Additionally, rural communities often face limited access to healthcare due to a lack of healthcare facilities and healthcare providers.

Health Disparities: Another issue in healthcare is health disparities, which are differences in health outcomes between different demographic groups. For example, Black Americans have higher rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease than White Americans and are more likely to die from these conditions (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Additionally, LGBTQ individuals often face discrimination and stigma in healthcare settings, leading to reduced access to care and poorer health outcomes.

Healthcare Costs: Many people also face high healthcare costs, even with insurance. For example, a 2020 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 1 in 4 people with health insurance reported having difficulty paying their medical bills and that many people skipped or delayed care due to the cost (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2020). Additionally, the cost of prescription drugs has been a significant issue in healthcare, with many people unable to afford necessary medications.

Healthcare Workforce Issues: Healthcare workforce issues, such as shortages of healthcare providers and burnout among healthcare workers, can also impact patients’ quality of care. For example, a 2018 Association of American Medical Colleges report projected a shortage of up to 120,000 physicians by 2030, with acute needs in certain specialties and geographic regions (Association of American Medical Colleges, 2018). Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted significant strains on healthcare workers, including shortages of personal protective equipment, high-stress levels, and burnout.

Criminal Justice System

The criminal justice system is another area where systemic racism affects Black Americans. Black Americans are more likely to be arrested, convicted, and sentenced to longer prison terms than their white counterparts for the same offenses. This disparity is due to a variety of factors, including racial profiling, mandatory minimum sentences, and implicit biases within the criminal justice system.

Black Americans are more likely to be arrested, convicted, and sentenced to longer prison terms than their white counterparts for the same offenses. According to a report by The Sentencing Project, Black Americans are 5.9 times more likely to be incarcerated than white Americans (The Sentencing Project, 2021). Source: https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/color-of-justice-racial-and-ethnic-disparity-in-state-prisons/

Black Americans are more likely to be victims of police violence than white Americans. According to a database compiled by Mapping Police Violence, Black Americans are three times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans (Mapping Police Violence, 2021). Source: https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/aboutthedata

Racial Disparities in Arrests and Sentencing: Black Americans are arrested at higher rates than White Americans, despite similar rates of drug use and other criminal activity. Additionally, Black Americans are more likely to receive harsher sentences than White Americans for similar crimes (The Sentencing Project, 2021). For example, the case of Kalief Browder, a Black teenager who was jailed at Rikers Island for three years without trial, illustrates how systemic racism can result in unjust incarceration.

Policing and Use of Force: Police brutality and the use of force by law enforcement has been a significant issue, particularly for communities of color. For example, the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020 sparked widespread protests and calls for police reform. Similarly, the killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky in 2020, who was shot by police in her own home during a botched raid, highlighted how police actions can lead to the deaths of innocent individuals.

Mass Incarceration: The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with over 2.3 million people currently in prison or jail (Prison Policy Initiative, 2021). Mass incarceration has high social and economic costs, particularly for communities of color. For example, the documentary 13th explores how the criminal justice system perpetuates racial inequality through the use of mass incarceration and the privatization of prisons.

Reentry and Recidivism: Individuals released from prison often face significant barriers to reentry, including difficulty finding housing and employment. Additionally, individuals who have been incarcerated are more likely to return to prison than those who have not, due in part to the challenges of reentry. For example, the documentary The Return follows the experiences of several individuals who are released from prison and face the challenges of rebuilding their lives.

Housing

The housing issues faced by Black Americans are complex and multifaceted. Below are some of the critical issues related to housing insecurity and discrimination that Black Americans face:

Black Americans are likelier to live in poor neighborhoods with limited access to basic amenities such as grocery stores and healthcare facilities. According to a report by the Brookings Institution, the typical Black American lives in a neighborhood with a poverty rate of 24%, compared to a poverty rate of 6% for the standard white American (Brookings Institution, 2021). Source: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2021/02/22/new-data-show-how-black-americans-are-living-in-a-different-america/

80% more likely to be denied a conventional mortgage than white Americans (National Association of Real Estate Brokers, 2019). Source: https://nareb.com/homeownership-matters/nareb-state-of-housing-in-black-america/

Discriminatory lending practices: Black Americans are more likely to be denied a mortgage or loan for a home than white Americans, even with similar financial profiles. This is due to the practice of redlining, where lenders deny credit to borrowers in specific neighborhoods based on their race or ethnicity. A National Bureau of Economic Research report found that Black Americans are 105% more likely to be denied a mortgage than white Americans with similar credit profiles (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2020).

Racial segregation: Housing discrimination has contributed to racial segregation, where Black Americans are concentrated in neighborhoods with fewer economic and educational opportunities, higher crime rates, and lower-quality schools. According to a report by the Brookings Institution, the average Black American lives in a neighborhood with a poverty rate that is three times higher than the average white American (Brookings Institution, 2021).

Homelessness and housing insecurity: Black Americans are overrepresented among the homeless population, accounting for 40% of people experiencing Homelessness in the United States (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2021). They are also more likely to experience housing insecurity, with a higher percentage of Black renters spending more than 50% of their income on housing costs (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2021).

Environmental hazards: Black Americans are more likely to live near environmental hazards such as polluting industries and hazardous waste sites, which can negatively impact their health and well-being. This is due to a history of discriminatory siting of industrial facilities and waste sites in Black communities, a practice known as environmental racism (NAACP, 2021).

Lack of affordable housing: Black Americans are disproportionately affected by the lack of affordable housing in the United States. According to a report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, there is a shortage of 7.2 million affordable and available rental homes for extremely low-income renters, a group in which Black Americans are overrepresented (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2021).

Environmental hazards: In 2016, the city of Flint, Michigan, switched its water source to the Flint River, resulting in high levels of lead contamination in the water. The majority-Black community was disproportionately affected, with children testing positive for lead poisoning at higher rates than their white counterparts (NBC News, 2016). A study by the NAACP found that Black Americans are 75% more likely to live near polluting industries than white Americans (NAACP, 2021).

Lack of affordable housing: In New Orleans, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,200 per month, which is unaffordable for many low-income families. Black residents, who make up the majority of the city’s population, are particularly affected by the lack of affordable housing (Gambit, 2021). Nationally, there is a shortage of affordable and available rental homes for extremely low-income renters, a group in which Black Americans are overrepresented (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2021).

Environmental Justice

Environmental justice refers to the fair treatment of all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, when it comes to developing, implementing, and enforcing environmental laws, policies, and regulations. Unfortunately, ecological injustice is all too common, with communities of color and low-income communities often bearing the brunt of pollution and other environmental hazards.

Black Americans are more likely to live near polluting industries and hazardous waste sites than their white counterparts. According to a report by the NAACP, Black Americans are 75% more likely to live near industrial facilities that produce hazardous waste (NAACP, 2021). Source: https://www.naacp.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Coal-Blooded-Report_2.2.21.pdf

Black Americans are more likely to suffer from environmental health problems such as asthma, heart disease, and cancer than their white counterparts. According to a report by the American Lung Association, Black Americans are 1.5 times more likely to have asthma and 40% more likely to die from asthma-related complications than white Americans (American Lung Association, 2021). Source: https://www.lung.org/research/sota/minority-groups/black-americans

Air pollution: Black Americans are disproportionately exposed to air pollution, which can cause respiratory problems, heart disease, and other health issues. According to a 2019 report by the National Urban League, more than 9 million Black Americans live within 3 miles of a polluting industrial facility (National Urban League, 2019). For example, in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley,” a stretch of the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Black residents are exposed to high levels of toxic air pollutants from petrochemical plants and other industrial facilities (The Guardian, 2020).

Water pollution: Black Americans are also more likely to live in areas with unsafe drinking water. In Flint, Michigan, the majority-Black community was exposed to lead-contaminated water for over a year, leading to health problems and a loss of trust in government officials (NBC News, 2016). In rural Alabama, the Uniontown community, which is 90% Black, has been fighting for years against a landfill that they say is contaminating their air and water (NPR, 2019).

Hazardous waste: Black communities are more likely to be near hazardous waste sites and landfills. For example, in North Carolina, a predominantly Black community called Uniontown is home to the country’s most significant toxic coal ash pond, which residents say makes them sick (The Guardian, 2019). In Warren County, North Carolina, in 1982, a landfill was created to store soil contaminated with PCBs, a toxic chemical. The dump was located in a predominantly Black community, despite protests from residents, and became a symbol of environmental racism (New York Times, 2021).

Climate change: Black Americans are more likely to be negatively impacted by the effects of climate change, such as extreme heat, storms, and sea-level rise. For example, in Houston, Texas, which has a large Black population, Hurricane Harvey caused massive flooding and displacement, disproportionately affecting low-income and marginalized communities (The Atlantic, 2017). In New Orleans, which is also predominantly Black, the effects of Hurricane Katrina were compounded by a history of discriminatory housing policies and infrastructure neglect (The New Yorker, 2019).

In conclusion, systemic racism is a pervasive problem that continues to impact Black Americans in a variety of ways. Black Americans face significant disparities and challenges from housing to education, employment to healthcare, and the criminal justice system due to systemic racism. However, it is essential to note that some interventions and policies can help address these disparities, such as increasing funding for underfunded schools, expanding access to healthcare services, and reforming the criminal justice system. By acknowledging how systemic racism affects Black Americans and working to address these disparities, we can move towards a more just and equitable society for all.