In this article, we’ll take a look at some practical examples of Systemic Racism against black Americans in the United States.

I was recently looking to share a few links about systemic racism in our ‘Curious Weekly’ newsletter. However, after a little research, I was shocked to find the best list of systemic racism examples didn’t come from a peer-reviewed study or news publication, rather, it came from a short article on Ben and Jerry’s blog.

In light of this reality, I thought it’d be helpful to share a few practical examples of the systemic racism that black Americans face in the 21st century. I want this to be a simple resource and reminder of the true and undeniable advantages that white Americans (like myself) are born with.

Individual vs Systemic Racism

When most people think of the word racism, they think of Individual Racism, or the specific actions of a person that intentionally express prejudice, hate, or bias. Most people would agree that Individual Racism exists and is wrong, but racism extends far beyond just the things you do, say, or think.

Racism is also the historic and present patterns that disadvantage minority groups like black Americans. This type of racism is most commonly called Structural Racism or Systemic Racism. 

Systemic Racism is when policies, practices, representations, and norms work together to perpetuate racial inequality. Systemic Racism often happens unconsciously and at a large scale, which is one of the reasons why it’s hard for individuals to see that it exists.

When you begin to see racism as a system and cycle, you can uncover how large historical oppressions like slavery have evolved to become present-day hindrances for black Americans. Even if things are getting ‘better’.

For example, the reality that black households make less money (see point 13-17 below) leads to decreased access to housing, less access to reliable transportation, less funding for schools, less of an ability to pay for college, and so on.

Like an uneven tire on a car, these hindrances compound to create unequal forward mobility for black Americans. This is Systemic Racism.

The Unequal Marathon

The best way to illustrate Systemic Racism is to think about society as a long-distance race with white participants and black participants.

White Americans had a 246-year head start in this race, and each discriminatory policy, lopsided statistic, and racial bias acts as a weight that weighs down black participants.

Each one of the following statistics are examples of those weights (aka systemic racism).

When we see a person struggling under this weight, it would be inaccurate to say that the situation is their fault, the fault of their culture, or any force that can be controlled by an individual. The reality of systemic racism begs us to slow down, recognize that we are running in an unfair race, and do what we can to support our fellow brothers and sisters.

Sometimes it’s a word of support, sometimes it’s a helping hand, and other times is just being willing to hear their story.

Is this awkward? Of course! There are few things more awkward than knowing your race and ancestors played an active hand in stacking the deck against your black neighbors and friends, but that doesn’t make it any less necessary to be willing to have these helpful conversations in love and grace.

64 Examples of Systemic Racism Against Black Americans

So with a working definition out of the way, here are 64 examples of the systemic racism that affect black Americans. It should be noted that this is in no way a comprehensive list and, sadly, it doesn’t even represent half of the systemic issues that face Black Americans today. But it’s our hope that this article uncovers some of the hidden weights that hold down our fellow Americans.

Systemic Racism in School and Childhood

1. 65% of black children live in a single-parent home, compared to 24% of white children - Kids Count Data Center

2. Black preschoolers are 3.6X more likely to be suspended than white preschoolers - US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights

3. Black students are 3.2X more likely to be suspended for infractions at school - US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights

4. Predominantly black school districts receive far less financial funding than white school districts - ED Build

5. Black students/children have less access to computers and the internet - National Center for Education Statistics

6. Black high school students are less likely to receive a high school diploma - National Center for Education Statistics

7. A higher percentage of black Americans with a GPA of 3.5 or higher attend community colleges vs top-tier selective institutions - Georgetown University

8. Only 46% of black college students finish a four-year degree within six years, compared to 72% of white college students - National Student Clearinghouse

9. Black college students are more likely to go into debt to pay for college - US Department of Education

10. The average Black college graduate leaves a public four-year institution with $111,486 in debt; 55% more debt than the average white college student. - American Council on Education

Systemic Racism in Work and Wealth

11. Black Americans with college degrees are twice as likely to be unemployed - The Atlantic

12. Black Americans with 'white' names receive 50% more callbacks for job applications - National Bureau of Economic Research

13. The median wealth of black college graduates is $23,400 vs $180,500 in white college graduates - Economic Policy Institute

14. White researches are twice as likely to win research grants than black researchers - National Institute of Health

15. 27% of black Americans live in poverty compared to 9.9% of whites - Economic Policy Institute 2018

16. Median overall wealth for black families is $11,030 vs $134,230 for white families - Economic Policy Institute

17. The median wealth for a single black woman is $100 vs $41,000 for single white women - Insight Center for Community Economic Development

Systemic Racism in Housing and Home Ownership

18. Black Americans represent 40% of the homeless population despite only being 13% of the general population - National Alliance to End Homelessness

19. Black homebuyers are shown 17% fewer homes and apartments than white buyers - US Department of Housing and Urban Development

20. Black homebuyers are more likely to be denied an appointment with a real estate agent - US Department of Housing and Urban Development

21. Housing lenders have disproportionately steered Black Americans to subprime housing loans, even when they were qualified for prime loans. - Suffolk University Law Review

22. Only 43% of black householders own their home vs 72% of white householders - PEW Research Center

23. Comparable homes in black neighborhoods are worth 23% less compared to white neighborhoods - Brookings

Systemic Racism in the Justice System

24. Statistically, Black Americans receive harsher punishments for the same crimes. - University of Michigan Law Center

25. Black children in the criminal justice system are 18x more likely to be sentenced as adults compared to white children. - Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2014

26. Prosecutors are 1.75x more likely to file charges on black American's that require mandatory minimums. - University of Michigan Law Center

27. Black drivers are 20% more likely to be pulled over than white drivers. - Nature Human Behaviour (Study by Stanford University)

28. Black Americans are searched more than white Americans - Stanford

29. Police statistically require less suspicion to search black drivers - Stanford, Threshold Test

30. Black Americans represent 40% of the total prison population, despite representing 13% of the general population - United States Census 2010

31. Black Americans are 3.6x more likely to be arrested for marijuana usage, despite virtually equal usage rates - ACLU

32. Black Americans are twice as likely to be incarcerated while awaiting trial & pay money for bail - Bureau of Justice Statistics

33. Black Americans pay higher bail than white Americans convicted of the same crime - New York University Journal of Legislation and Public Policy

34. Facial recognition software is more likely to generate false criminal positives for Black Americans - ACLU

35. As a result of increased felony incarceration, 7.4% of black American men are disenfranchised (unable to vote). - The Sentencing Project

Systemic Racism in Food & Diet

36. Black Americans, in urban and suburban areas, must travel further to find grocery stores and fresh food, making it more difficult to maintain a healthy diet. - US National Library of Medicine

37. Black Americans are over two times more likely to be 'Food Insecure', meaning they have limited or uncertain access to adequate food. - Family Community Health

38. Fast food chains target black neighborhoods contributing to increases in obesity rates - American Journal of Preventive Medicine

39. As a result of this diet, Black Americans are 50% more likely to be diagnosed with a stroke and 40% more likely to die from a stroke - US Department of Health and Human Services

40. Black Americans are also 60% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes - Center for Disease Control

41. Black Americans are over twice as likely to die from diabetes - Center for Disease Control

Systemic Racism in Day-to-Day Life

42. Black Americans have far less access to local public parks. In Los Angeles, white Americans have 31.8 acres of local parkland per 1000 residents, whereas Black Americans have 1.7 acres of parkland per 1000 residents. - National Parks and Recreation Association

43. People with 'Black-American' names are 16% less likely to be approved for AirBNB rentals - American Economic Journal

44. Uber riders with 'African-American' sounding names are 3x more likely to have their ride canceled. - National Bureau of Economic Research

45. Black Americans on average wait longer for Uber and Lyft rides - National Bureau of Economic Research

46. People are less likely to stop for black Americans at a crosswalk - National institute for Transportation and Communities

Systemic Racism in Health

47. Black children are 2.2x more likely to be exposed to lead before being born largely in part to lead exposure in black American women. - US Library of Medicine

48. Black Americans are twice as likely to die in infancy - US Department of Health and Human Services

49. Black American mothers are less likely to receive prenatal care - US Department of Health and Human Services

50. Black Americans are less likely to survive a battle with cancer - US Department of Health and Human Services

51. Black Americans are less likely to receive immunizations for diseases like Hepatitis, Influenza, and Pneumonia - US Department of Health and Human Services

52. Black Americans are less likely to receive organ transplants - US Department of Health and Human Services

53. Black Americans are more likely to be exposed to harmful respiratory pollutants like diesel fumes - Science Daily (Study by Ohio State University)

54. Black Americans are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with asthma - CDC

55. Black American adults are 2.8x more likely to die of asthma - CDC

56. Black American children are 7.1x more likely to die of asthma - CDC

57. Black Americans are 50% more likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure - US Department of Health and Human Services

58. Black Americans are 46% less likely to be offered employer-sponsored health insurance - Kaiser Family Foundation

59. Black Americans experience higher depression rates - National Institute of Health

60. Black Americans are less likely to receive mental health services - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

61. Black Americans are less likely to receive treatment for depression - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

62. Black Americans are twice as likely than whites to be diagnosed with schizophrenia. - American Psychological Association

63. Black American teenagers are more likely to attempt suicide. - US Department of Health and Human Services

64. On average, black Americans live shorter lives than white Americans. - CDC

What Now?

The stats presented in this article are heartbreaking, complex, and the true reality of living as a black American in the United States. None of these problems are easily fixed, but we have a sincere hope that things will get better.

Life is not a race to a finish line, rather, it’s a march forward with our fellow humans. Every act of empathy, prayer, phone call, text, helpful post, and acknowledgment of the disparities that affect minorities, helps to chip away at the cycles of racism that have continued to this day.

We hope this has been eye-opening and insightful. Thank you for taking the time to read this article.