Thread by @UnitedWayDenver

Welcome to another #CourageousConversation! Today we are so lucky to have Tricia Rose discussing systemic racism with us.

Tricia starts the conversation with an incredible bang - sharing that she will discuss how systemic racism creates the culture we all live within #CourageousConversations

"Structural racism is something that goes on, whether we intend to be racist or not. Whether we have a Democratic or Republican President," Tricia shares. "If we don't change the structure, we won't change the world." #CourageousConversations

Systemic racism creates routine advantages for whites while producing cumulative and chronic adverse outcomes for POC, Tricia shares.

So what are the 3 key components of systemic racism?
1. An interconnected system that forms a flexible, discriminatory apparatus.
2. Meta discrimination - the sum is greater than the individual parts
3. It all happens at once - it's not linear.

This is very different than our primary ways of looking at racism, Tricia notes, where we are trained to view it as a personal detriment or flaw. #CourageousConversations

The important thing to consider when discussing systemic racism is the reality that these things impact each other and create a larger impact than a "single sphere" approach that isolates each "area" of systemic racism on its own. In reality, these "areas" interact together.

Discussing redlining, Tricia shares the descriptions that were shared in the federal mapping documents. Within these descriptions, the presence of Black people in neighborhoods is directly tied to rating neighborhoods poorly. #CourageousConversations

She notes that when the mere presence of Black people create a detriment to mortgages and rates, essentially linking the existence of Black people to lowered value, it's easy to see where the "trickle-down" effect might begin or perpetuate to today. #CourageousConversations

As we continue, Tricia asks us to consider where this structure of discrimination interlocks, interacts, and creates larger ripple effects of discrimination in other areas of society - intensifying and creating greater reach for systemic racism. #CourageousConversations

These systems of discrimination do not exist in siloes. Housing discrimination contributed greatly to the racial wealth gap that still exists today. #CourageousConversations

We all know the racial wealth gap exists. But, Tricia notes, why is it so extraordinary? She says yes, you can go all the way back to slavery as a contributing factor, but when you look at accumulation of wealth, housing is a major factor. In fact, it is THE major factor.

So, when you consider that federal and local governments created a world where Black individuals and families could not partake in high-value housing by rating their neighborhoods poorly and unable to receive financing simply by way of Black people existing in those neighborhoods

It becomes clear that housing inequality played a major part in creating and maintaining the racial wealth gap. In turn, Tricia notes, these two things interact to create a deep schooling inequity as well. #CourageousConversations

With schools being funded by property taxes, and property taxes providing less funding thanks to housing values that continue to remain low due to, again, the existence of Black people in these neighborhoods, it's clear to see that systemic racism impacts entire lifecycles.

When we look at this from a schooling quality perspective - schools with less funding (schools with the greatest percentages of Black and POC students) cannot afford to attract or maintain high quality educators, contributing to a widened wealth gap via lack of quality education

Tricia discusses the school-to-prison pipeline as it intersects with this. #CourageousConversations

Tricia continues, sharing that extending criminal justice to school systems (putting police in the halls of schools), does not help students - in learning or in life. She notes that the more police presence in schools leads to more suspensions. More suspensions, in turn, has been

correlated with increased incarceration later in life. Again, you can see where these pieces of the puzzle play into each other and make the cumulative effect much worse than the sum of its individual parts. #CourageousConversations

What can we do, then?
1. Make these interconnected things visible
2. Illuminate key drivers for these discriminations within our communities
3. Disconnect discriminatory drivers
4. Identify key levers (one of the main ones is not letting people deny the existence of this)

Thank you to Tricia Rose for this illuminating conversation. It is so critical to understand the interconnectedness of all the systems that make up structural and systemic racism. No one piece exists or impacts on its own. #CourageousConversations

If you haven't yet, check out Tricia's incredible works including:
Her books: triciarose.com/books.html
Videos: youtube.com/user/Professor…
and Media Highlights: triciarose.com/media.html

#CourageousConversations

And if you are interested in learning more about our #CourageousConversations series and viewing past sessions, visit: unitedwaydenver.org/courageous-con…

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