Talking about racism often starts with the visible moments—discrimination, bias, or inequality in schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. But underneath those moments is something deeper, something woven into how institutions work: systemic racism. Understanding where it comes from helps us recognize how it shows up today and why it continues to impact so many lives.
This isn’t just about history. It’s about patterns. Patterns that were set in motion long ago but still shape the rules, norms, and structures we live with now. And for those working toward justice—especially within academic spaces—understanding these roots is key to changing the systems that sustain them.
What This Article Covers
This piece breaks down how systemic racism took hold and continues to operate in modern life. From historical policies to institutional practices, we look at the forces that created racial inequality—and how they continue to be felt today. The goal is to build a stronger understanding that can lead to stronger action.
A History That Shaped the Present
Systemic racism didn’t begin with one moment or one law. It formed through a long chain of decisions—laws, policies, and attitudes that gave some people power while denying others basic rights. In many countries, colonization, slavery, and segregation laid the foundation for inequality that still exists today.
These systems weren’t just about personal prejudice. They were built into schools, housing markets, healthcare, and more. They were written into laws and reinforced through everyday practices. As those systems grew, they passed on advantage and disadvantage generation after generation.
Even after some of the most obvious laws were changed, the deeper systems remained. That’s what makes systemic racism so difficult to address—it doesn’t need hatred to survive. It runs quietly, often unnoticed, unless we take the time to look closely.
The Role of Institutions
Colleges, banks, governments, and corporations all play roles in how systemic racism shows up. These institutions make decisions about who gets access to what—resources, education, safety, opportunity. When those decisions are shaped by historical inequality, the result is ongoing harm.
For example, school districts tied to property taxes often leave low-income communities with fewer resources. Hiring practices that rely on “fit” or “culture” can exclude candidates who don’t look or sound like the majority. Even rules that seem neutral on the surface can have unequal impact if they were built without diverse voices at the table.
When institutions repeat these patterns without asking questions, they keep the system going. That’s why it’s so important to examine policies and practices—not just people’s intentions.
Language, Media, and Representation
Systemic racism also operates through the stories we tell and the words we use. Who gets centered in history books? Whose stories are seen as valuable? Whose pain is taken seriously?
Media and education shape what we believe is normal, what’s worth caring about, and what’s seen as “other.” When entire communities are portrayed as dangerous, irresponsible, or less deserving, those ideas influence how people are treated in real life.
Representation matters. It shapes self-image. It affects how decisions are made. Changing the system means making space for voices that have long been left out—and listening when they speak.
How Power Protects Itself
One reason systemic racism is so persistent is because it protects itself. Systems of power tend to keep those who benefit from them in place. This can happen through silence, distraction, or punishment of those who speak up.
Whistleblowers lose jobs. Students who protest face disciplinary action. Communities that organize for change are labeled disruptive or angry. This isn’t accidental—it’s how systems push back to maintain control.
Recognizing this pattern is an important step toward breaking it. When we name how power works, we can start to shift where that power lives and who it serves.
Why This Matters on Campus
Universities often pride themselves on inclusion and fairness. But systemic racism exists in higher education too—in admissions policies, hiring practices, course offerings, and disciplinary systems.
Students of color are still underrepresented in leadership roles. Faculty of color face barriers in tenure and promotion. Curricula often leave out the voices and knowledge of historically marginalized communities.
For students who want justice, campuses can be both a challenge and a starting point. They are places where ideas take shape—and where pressure can lead to real change. Challenging systemic racism in academia means looking beyond surface-level diversity and asking harder questions about structure and equity.
What Moving Forward Can Look Like
Understanding the roots of systemic racism isn’t about blame. It’s about responsibility. Once we see how the system works, we can start building something different.
This begins with listening. With being willing to face uncomfortable truths. With choosing to act not just in moments of crisis, but in the everyday work of fairness.
It means supporting those who have been doing this work for years. It means pushing institutions to change—not just in words, but in structure. And it means holding space for real conversations that go deeper than quick fixes.
Change doesn’t come from one article, one meeting, or one campaign. But it can grow from knowledge, care, and action that’s shared across communities.
The Work Is Ongoing—and Worth It
Systemic racism didn’t appear overnight, and it won’t disappear quickly. But every step toward understanding and justice matters. Every conversation that leads to reflection. Every policy that gets reviewed. Every story that gets told.
The roots run deep. But so does the will to pull them up and plant something better.
And that work—the work of truth, courage, and community—is already happening.