Systemic Racism

Throughout this country’s history, the hallmarks of American democracy – opportunity, freedom, and prosperity – have been largely reserved for white people through the intentional exclusion and oppression of people of color. The deep racial and ethnic inequities that exist today are a direct result of structural racism in America: the historical and contemporary policies, practices, and norms that create and maintain white supremacy.

This guide is intended to provide a foundational overview and introduction to systemic racism in the United States. It includes resources to understand the structural inequities and issues that have impacted BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) over generations. 

This guide is by no means an exhaustive list of anti-oppressive initiatives nor does it capture all of the many facets of the larger conversations about the issues listed here. This guide serves as an introduction to these issues and as a starting place for finding information from a variety of sources. It will continue to develop in response to evolving anti-oppression issues and community needs.

Some of the topics discussed in this guide may be triggering for some individuals.

A list of self-care, coping, and mental health resources can be found in this guide.