SERIES: Understanding and Remediating Structural Racism

  1. The Origins of Race and Racism

  2. The Historical Roots of Structural Racism

  3. Contemporary Structural Racism

  4. Remediating Structural Racism

The Origins of Race and Racism (Colonial Era) Outline

Why did we invent races and institutionalized racism? Why do societies invent races? We will go back in history and learn about race relations and slavery during the early colonial American period, before we invented race and racism. Through primary historical sources, we will trace the social construction of the Black and White “races” and our transition from a class- to a race-based society. In the second half, we will analyze why societies in general invent races. We will learn that races are socially-constructed categories of people with hierarchically ranked status and differential access to power, resources, and opportunity, that are invented to legitimize slavery, colonization, or genocide.

The Historical Roots of Structural Racism (1930s-2000s) Outline

What are the historical roots of structural racism? Why didn’t civil rights legislation end structural racism?  First, I provide data on contemporary racial disparities and segregation. Next, I demonstrate how structural racism is rooted in the enduring impacts of the accumulated gains of historical discrimination: residential segregation and the racial wealth gap. I focus primarily on the G.I. Bill, redlining, FHA- and VA-backed mortgages, and exclusionary zoning. Finally, I explain why the limitations of civil rights legislation allow many forms of historical discrimination to be reproduced in facially “race-neutral” forms, with wealth and geography acting as proxies for race.

Contemporary Structural Racism Outline

What is structural racism? How does structural racism limit access to opportunity? First, I introduce the concept of structural racism using several metaphors, demonstrate how it is rooted in the persistent legacies of historical discrimination, and explain how it differs from individual bias. Then, I illustrate how contemporary structural results in racial disparities in access to opportunity: a. access to quality education, b. opportunity to earn employment income, and c. opportunity to build home equity. I also identify the role of individual "opportunity hoarding" in reproducing and exacerbating structural racism. 

Note: the seminar “The Historical Roots of Structural Racism” is a prerequisite for this seminar.

Hybrid - Structural Racism: Historical Roots and Enduring Impacts Outline

What are the historical roots of structural racism? Why didn’t civil rights legislation end structural racism? How does historical discrimination impact contemporary structural racism? First, I provide data on contemporary racial disparities and segregation. Next, I demonstrate how structural racism is rooted in the enduring impacts of the accumulated gains of historical discrimination: residential segregation and the racial wealth gap. I focus primarily on the G.I. Bill, redlining, FHA- and VA-backed mortgages, and exclusionary zoning. Finally, I explain what structural racism is, and demonstrate how it is rooted in these persistent legacies.

Remediating Structural Racism Outline

How do we remediate structural racism? How do we foster the cross-racial, cross-ideological solidarity needed to do so? After introducing some guiding principles, I describe some social psychology principles for fostering interracial cooperation. Finally, I describe some specific strategies for 1. designing government policies for remediating structural racism, 2. implementing institutional practices to reduce the impact of biased behavior (vs. thoughts), and 3. reducing individual opportunity hoarding.

Note: the seminars “The Historical Roots of Structural Racism” and “Contemporary Structural Racism” (or the hybrid seminar) are prerequisites for this seminar.