How is systemic racism different than racism?
I am noticing that there are people who conflate capitalism and poverty with systemic racism.
Conflate
verb
is the merging of two or more sets of information, texts, ideas, or opinions into one, often in error.
“We all have it bad”. Yes. Correct. The wealthy are getting wealthier and the poor are getting poorer. That gap will continue in the same direction. Capitalism affects us all regardless of our ethnicity, culture, etc.
However, confusing the impacts of capitalism with systemic racism means that you are failing to grasp that there are genuine and intentionally harmful policies and laws directly aimed at black and brown folks. Even if you’re unaware of what it looks like or where it’s embedded or how it’s carried out!
Systemic racism exists in our world ~alongside~ capitalism but when people hear terminology like ‘systemic racism’ or that we are part of an inherently racist society, it ends up being met with a lot of resistance because now it sounds like every white person is being called a racist. Even the term ‘white privilege’ is a reference to systemic racism, not directly aimed at one individual. It doesn’t mean that all white people are privileged, and it definitely doesn’t mean that all white people are racist, but it does mean that there are hidden power structures in play that have a significant impact on people’s experience. And because of this confusion, I am noticing a division between groups of people over a misunderstanding- people are literally not talking about the same thing, and many ending up offended.
Systemic racism doesn’t mean that only black and brown people are poor or “have it bad”. The idea of systemic racism is also not about individual attitudes (a racist boss and a BIPOC employee)- that’s not systemic racism. It is about how society works. Good people can participate in systemic racism (aka celebrating Canada Day, for instance). Canadians struggled to understand the revelations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Canadians are struggling to understand the difference between capitalism and systemic racism, and I want to talk about it. I want others to talk about it.
How is systemic racism different than racism?