The ongoing struggle from systemic racism

Systemic racism isn’t just isolated incidents or individuals harboring racist views. It’s deeply ingrained patterns within societal structures that have persisted for centuries. 

From education and housing to healthcare and the criminal justice system, these systemic inequalities continue to disproportionately affect people of color—particularly Black communities. While awareness around systemic racism has grown, dismantling it remains a long and complicated struggle.

Rooted in history but thriving today

Systemic racism’s roots go deep into the history of the U.S., dating back to slavery and segregation. While laws have changed, the impacts remain. 

After the abolition of slavery, policies such as Jim Crow laws kept Black Americans marginalized, preventing access to quality education, housing, and economic opportunities. 

Even after these laws were repealed, segregation didn’t end—it just took new forms, like redlining and discriminatory lending practices, which confined Black communities to under-resourced neighborhoods. Today, these neighborhoods often still lack the infrastructure, education, and healthcare that wealthier (and predominantly white) areas enjoy.

Housing segregation directly impacts education, since local funding ties school quality to property taxes. As a result, predominantly Black schools tend to receive far less funding than schools in white neighborhoods. 

This structural divide sets the stage for ongoing disparities in education, limiting career opportunities for Black youth and perpetuating cycles of poverty.

The unequal and unjust criminal justice system

The criminal justice system is another arena where systemic racism thrives. 

Black Americans are significantly more likely to be arrested, face harsher sentencing, and encounter police violence compared to their white counterparts. 

Studies have shown that Black individuals are three times more likely to be killed by police. And while only about 1% of these cases result in an officer being charged, the evidence suggests these aren’t just the actions of a few rogue officers, but the result of broader patterns within law enforcement.

The mass incarceration problem further compounds the issue. Black individuals are overrepresented in the U.S. prison system, making up a disproportionate number of those serving time for offenses such as drug possession. 

The so-called “war on drugs” has disproportionately targeted Black communities, even though drug use rates are similar across racial groups. Sentencing disparities, biased policing, and the overuse of incarceration all point to a criminal justice system that’s rigged against people of color.

Healthcare disparities & racism in treatment access

Systemic racism isn’t just in law enforcement and housing, though—its impacts reach into healthcare, too. 

Black communities face higher rates of chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, often due to a lack of access to quality healthcare, nutritious food, and safe living environments. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, these disparities were laid bare, with Black Americans dying at much higher rates than their white counterparts. 

Even when healthcare is available, Black patients are often under-treated or face biases from medical professionals, which further exacerbates health outcomes.

The global fight against systemic racism

While systemic racism is often discussed in the context of the U.S., it’s a global issue tied to the legacies of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade. 

Many countries around the world, particularly in Europe and Africa, are grappling with their own histories of racism, exploitation, and oppression. Global organizations like the United Nations are pushing for reforms to address these long-standing inequalities, calling for changes in policing, housing, and healthcare systems across nations.

As a result, the fight against systemic racism is gaining traction as more people recognize that it’s not just about individual biases but about the structures that perpetuate inequality. Activists, lawmakers, and communities are pushing for policy changes, including criminal justice reform, more equitable healthcare access, and investment in underserved communities. 

However, change is slow, and the challenges are complex.

Moving forward

Addressing systemic racism requires more than just awareness—it demands action at all levels of society. Whether through policy reform, community organizing, or shifts in the public consciousness, dismantling these deep-seated inequities is the only path toward real justice. The ongoing struggle against systemic racism is far from over, but the movement to address these entrenched inequalities continues to grow, both in the U.S. and globally.