TheGrio Daily

Yes, systemic racism is real

Episode 121
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“We know that disparities exist and we don’t fix them, which is a system of racism.” The only way to correct systemic racism is to put a system in place that addresses it. Michael Harriot takes on the naysayers who claim systemic racism isn’t real by providing several examples throughout the American education system, criminal justice system, and more that prove that it is. 

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[00:00:00] You are now listening to theGrio’s Black Podcast Network. Black Culture Amplified. 

Michael Harriot [00:00:05] What does Santa Clause and Jesus have in common with systemic racism. Well, all three of them are something that people don’t believe exists. And that’s why I want to welcome you to theGrio Daily, the only podcast that will explain why systemic racism is real. So when we talk about racism and specifically systemic racism, I always hear that. Well, systemic racism doesn’t exist. This Is really a real thing, right? That people actually say. They say like there are no laws that create systemic racism. There are no policies that creates systemic racism. They’ll even say, like, if something is racist, there’s a law against it which proves there systemic racism doesn’t exist. Because if you could do things systemically that are racist, then there wouldn’t be any laws to stop it. So, you know, what can Black people do that white people can do? Or what can Black white people do to Black people that is allowed under the law? And unfortunately, that’s not how systemic racism work. And to, you know, disprove what they say, We can point to all kinds of examples why a Black person, for instance, can’t walk into a grocery store. And the group’s right because, you know, they’re watching you, man. Don’t do that. Please don’t try to do that at home or in the grocery store. A Black person, for instance, we know that Black schools are underfunded compared to white schools. And not only are they underfunded but the poorest white child on average attends a school that receives more funding than the richest Blacks child. Right. 

Michael Harriot [00:02:19] Because most Black children attend schools that are majority Black. So it’s not just a question of poverty or income. It is systemic. Right. That’s kind of how systems work, right? They are created to produce an outcome. And when it comes to racism, there are things that are systemic in. There are no rules that say, hey, do to Black people like this. And do the white people like this? Like, no, that’s not how systemic things work. For instance, white. We know that Black defendants. When they are sentenced to for a crime, their sentences are, on average about 20% longer than white people who commit the same crime and have the same criminal history. Now, why is it. Well, there are a number of reasons for that, right? You know, part of it, simply put, is because most judges are white. Right. And they look at Black criminals in such a way verses white people. Notice I said people who commit crimes in a different way. Right. And that is systemic racism. There’s no rule that says treat Black defendants different or sentence them to longer incarceration periods. Nah, that’s not how systems work, right? Another example is, again, when we get to the field of education, well, we know that there are systems in place. They don’t say, hey, underfund the Black schools. Right. But we know that schools are funded based on property taxes. And most Black people live in majority Black neighborhoods and majority Black neighborhoods the homes in those neighborhoods are going to value because partly white people don’t want to live there. There’s less competition forces, the price of homes down, and the price of the average price of the home is devalued. Then the valuation is reflected in the property taxes. 

Michael Harriot [00:04:50] It’s systemic. They don’t say this, you know, tax. The Black people had a lower rate. Another great example is policing. Like we know that white people use more drugs than Black people, like there’s a whole survey that shows it that comes out every. But Black people are disproportionately arrested at like two and a half to three times the rate they are stopped by police more. And that’s because the system of policing is predicated on how the officer perceives a driver, whether they want to stop them or not. And a great example that shows this is that at nighttime, when police officers can’t see into a car, according to the Stanforcd Open Policing Project, which is the biggest statistical look at policing that’s ever been done at night, the disparities in police stops kind of disappears because police can’t see who the driver is. So they don’t stop Black people disproportionately. 

Michael Harriot [00:06:07] Now, what am I getting it? All of those examples of systems aren’t based on rules that are put in place to oppress, suppress or discriminate against Black people. The real reason is because there are no rules. See, there is no system that says, hey, we know schools that are majority Black or underfunded, so we’re going to put a system in place to stop that from happening. There is no system in place that stops cops from unfairly targeting people who are not white. There is no system that’s put in place to make sure that judges sentence people fairly. The absence of a system, is a system. So imagine that you worked at a gas station or a Wal-Mart. You are a cashier. The people who come to the register gave you their money and you put some in your pocket. And you put some in the register. Well, that’s stealing, right? And once everybody who works as a cash register knows that, Well, they don’t have a thing in place to know how much is supposed to be in the register. More people are going to steal. And that store will be the victim of systemic theft because they don’t have a system in place. And that is systemic. Right? That’s this systemic theft is caused by the lack of a system. And so it is with education. We don’t have anything in place to ensure that our schools are funded fairly. We don’t have a thing in place to ensure that police treat everyone fairly, even though we know those disparities exist. And because there’s a mountain of data that shows that Black children get a worse education, that Black neighborhoods are underfunded and the homes in Black neighborhoods are undervalued because we know that people who are accused of a crime, if you’re Black, you’re more likely to get a sentence. We know all of this is true, and because we haven’t prepared to fix it. We are tacitly endorsing a system that is racist. The lack of a system. Is a system. I mean, if you think about it, right? Imagine if your mama came home every day and said, Hey, you can go to bed whenever you want to. You don’t have to do your homework. You don’t have to eat healthy foods, right? And people would eventually say, why are you always so tired in class? And why don’t you never have your homework?  Why are you so unhealthy? And She told them, Well, I can do whatever I want to at home. They’ll say, Your parents let you do that? Your parents wouldn’t have told you to eat unhealthy. They wouldn’t have told you “Hey man, don’t even worry about that homework.” “Don’t even worry about what time you go to bed.” 

Michael Harriot [00:09:58] They will have endorsed a lack of a system that produces a certain outcome. And if it continues, the only thing that you can conclude is that they want that outcome. Because they didn’t put a system into place that would prevent the inevitable outcome that they have already shown would produce that specific outcome. So the lack of a system is a system and in America they sentences you longer. The criminal justice system is an example of systemic racism. The education system is an example of systemic racism. The financial system is an example of systemic racism. All of these things that we see, that we know that disparities exist and we don’t fix them is a system racism and that’s why we’ve got to fix. Because if you don’t want to live in a racist country, you can’t just say, I feel that we shouldn’t do that. You have to put a system in place that prevents it. And to do that, I suggest that we download theGrio app, but first and then I think we should subscribe to this podcast on whatever platform you like. I think you should tell a friend about it because if you don’t, then you are endorsing a system that does not tell people about theGrio Daily. That’s why I would never in this podcast without giving you a Black saying, because if I did, the absence of that Black saying would be my endorsement of just leaving here without a word from Black people. And today’s Black saying is, ” It’s the system, not the person? We’ll see you next time on theGrio Daily. If you like what you heard, please give us a five star review. Download theGrio app, subscribe to the show and to share it with everyone you know. Please email all questions, suggestions and compliments to the podcast at theGrio dot com. 

Dr. Christina Greer [00:12:45] I’m political scientist, author and professor Dr. Christina Greer, and I’m host of The Blackest Questions on theGrio’s Black Podcast Network. This person invented ranch dressing around 1950. Who are they? 

Marc Lamont Hill [00:12:58] I have no idea. 

Dr. Christina Greer [00:12:59] This all began as an exclusive Black history trivia party at my home in Harlem with family and friends. And they got so popular it seemed only right to share the fun with our Grio listeners. Each week we invite a familiar face on the podcast to play. What was the name of the person who was an enslaved chief cook for George Washington and later ran away to freedom in 1868. This university was the first in the country to open a medical school that welcomed medical students of all races, genders and social classes. What university was it? 

Roy Wood Jr. [00:13:33] This is why I like doing stuff with you, because I leave educated. I was not taught this in Alabama Public Schools. 

Dr. Christina Greer [00:13:39] Question three. You ready? 

Eboni K. Williams [00:13:40] Yes. I want to redeem myself. 

Amanda Seales [00:13:42] How do we go from Kwanzaa to like these obscure stories. 

[00:13:48] Diaspora, darling. 

Amanda Seales [00:13:48] This is like the New York Times crossword from Monday to Saturday. Right or wrong, Because all we care about is the journey and having some fun while we do it. 

Kalen Allen [00:13:57] I’m excited and also little nervous. 

Dr. Christina Greer [00:13:59] Oh, listen. No need to be nervous. And as I tell all of my guests, this is an opportunity for us to educate ourselves because Black history is American history. So we’re just gonna have some fun. Listen, some people get zero out of five. Some people get five out of five. It doesn’t matter. We’re just going to be on a little intellectual journey together. 

Eboni K. Williams [00:14:15] Latoya Cantrell. 

Dr. Christina Greer [00:14:18] That’s right. Mayor Latoya Cantrell. 

Micahel Twitty [00:14:20] Hercules Posey. Hmm. 

Dr. Christina Greer [00:14:22] Born in 1754 and he was a member of the Mount Vernon slave community, widely admired for his culinary skills. 

Kalen Allen [00:14:28] I’m going to guess AfroPunk. 

Dr. Christina Greer [00:14:30] Close. It’s Afro Nation. According to my research, and Samuel Wilson a.k.a Falcon. 

Jason Johnson [00:14:40] Wrong. Wrong, I am disputing this. 

Latosha Brown [00:14:45] Very, very, very 99.9999 sure that it is Representative John Lewis, who is also from the state of Alabama. That let you know, Christina, we got some good this come out of Alabama. 

Dr. Christina Greer [00:14:56] There’s something in the water in Alabama. And you are absolutely correct. 

Diallo Riddle [00:14:59] The harder they come. 

Dr. Christina Greer [00:15:02] Close. 

Diallo Riddle [00:15:03] Oh. Wait, the harder they fall? 

Dr. Christina Greer [00:15:04] That’s right. I’m one of those people that just changes one word 

Roy Wood Jr. [00:15:10] I just don’t know nothing today. I’m going to pour myself a little water while you tell me the answer. 

Dr. Christina Greer [00:15:14] The answer is Seneca Village, which began in 1825 with the purchase of land by a trustee, the A.M.E. Zion Church. 

Roy Wood Jr. [00:15:20] You know what games like this make me nervous? I don’t know if I know enough Black. Do I know enough? How Black am I? Oh, my Lord. They, they going, we going to find out in public. 

Dr. Christina Greer [00:15:29] So give us a follow. Subscribe and join us on the Blackest Questions.