Upon reflecting on this semester, I came across an incredibly overt example of systemic injustice that wasn’t obvious to me at first. My first week at school had been packed with online zoom interviews having to do with the Fisher Fall Career fair as well as recruitment for business fraternities on campus. Looking back, I realized that every single one of the conversations I had was with a person of my own race. I talked to men and women that were white. The fact that there were no people of power that were able to represent any other race reveals yet another example of privilege I have access to on a daily basis. As a white person in America, I ALWAYS have the ability to expect the company of a person of my race. This privilege is not available for people of other races. As young, amenable individuals, it is important for everyone to be able to have an influence that they can relate to, and a lot of times, this relate-ability depends on the comparison of gender, age, and especially race. This concept relates to Deming in Lisa Ko’s The Leavers, as he is forced to grow up in a community that was predominantly white and had little experience with diversity. Deming feels the inferiority tied to the concept of the “other”, and is unable to relate to the people around him, inhibiting him from having the motivation to become the best version of himself. Without a relatable role model, Deming was stripped from the opportunity to step up in his community without feeling like everyone around him was implicitly making assumptions and judgments about his race or appearance. The fact that people of other races don’t have a connection with someone like them proves that this institutional racism is embedded as a normal occurrence within society. Placing white people as the primary people of power may dishearten people of other races, leading to an even more prevalent disparity among races. This ongoing process truly proves how systemic this racism actually is, and reveals its ability to prevail in our society today.
This article calls attention to racial injustice in the workplace. Additionally, it provides many resources to other sources that inform about systemic racism in our country.
https://ocs.fas.harvard.edu/diverse-populations
If you would like to learn more about systemic racism, this video provides information on the issue in an easy-to-understand format.
I really really liked this post. I think it is extremely important for people to understand the advantages they have on a daily basis. I try to be hyper aware of what is going on around me and I have unfortunately witnessed a good amount of incidents that can and should be considered systemic racism. I really like how you were able to recognize that there was a lack of diversity. Every individual needs to have the right to find a safe space with people alike to make them feel more comfortable. No one should feel ashamed for being a certain way.
Fantastic post! I loved learning about these systems you spoke of. In my history class we read Origins of the Urban Crisis pages 3-271 but it was so informative in the sense that it explained a lot of the themes of privilege and where it all started in the post-civil war time. It also touches on how the idea of inner city was a tactic used to directly disadvantage black communities at the time. It talks a lot about how the auto industry in Detroit added to the problem in the workforce. I highly encourage you to give it a read! As a white person I also have trouble at times understanding privilege because I know I have it I just wish I didn’t because I genuinely believe we should all be equal!
This is a great post. I can totally relate to this having to do with being an immigrant myself and belonging to a different race. I really apprecaite that you happened to notice the notice the lack of diversity in your interviews. We have to step up and come together collectively to break systemic rasicm and inequality among certain ethnicities, especially minority ones.
Hello,
I found it interesting you were able to notice a disparity of race in interviews, as this is often not something people notice, or they just seemingly ignore it. Often times we do not notice things like this in the world, and I feel it is important to be aware of things going on around us. I feel the video you linked is very informative on the topic of systemic racism, people often forget about redlining being a thing, and its impact on how it disproportionally affected African Americans over Whites.
I think your presentation is very good, and the attached video is also very meaningful. You found subtle changes or differences between races in it. I think in this society, most people will not notice these differences, but people often cause conflicts and even tragedies because of this. I think that only when people are willing to change the racism in society from the heart, this kind of systemic injustice can be wiped out.
I think your article is very good and the video is very interesting. You pointed out the lack of diversity in society. People need to pay more attention to racial details and consider others. This can be very clever to avoid a lot of risks caused by race issues. If everyone does this, people will get along more harmoniously. I hope we can solve the racism issue sooner.
Hi, I really like that you provided videos to support your post. I have been to the Fisher Career Fair as well. And most of the interviewers are white. It’s hard to see interviewers of other race/color there. I tried to talk to some of them, but they seem less interested in international students. I felt hurt when I left the fair. I hope one day things will change.
Hello! This post was great to read and is a excellent example of privilege that white people have but fail to realize. The lack of diversity here is something that can be easily overlooked because people sadly assume such a position is held by mostly white people, giving other races an unfair disadvantage. This is something that I can only hope will change in the future, giving all races an equal opportunity and hope that they can be represented in higher positions of power.
I think that you made some really excellent points in your post. If I were to stop and think about interviews I’ve had in the past and even managers at simple jobs, I find that the majority of them are white. I wouldn’t ever have thought anything of it at the time but the new perspective really does show the multitude of opportunity I have as a white person, when compared to someone of a different race. Your video was a nice touch to your entry.
Hi! This is a really nice post. I think that your post really exemplifies the true meaning behind the entire Diary of Systemic Injustices. It is so important that we truly understand our own privilege, no matter your race, to help us form better relationships and live in fluidity with society, it really is a benefit to everyone to understand your own privilege. Overall, awesome post and I think that this was the perfect topic to cover in your showcase!
This is so very true and this is actually very similar to one of my own diary entries I had written before. I had talked about how so many public school consist of almost entirely white teachers and staff members, even if the student population is majority people of color. The staff almost never reflects or represents the student population accurately in terms of race, ethnicity, and all of the experiences and cultures that come with it and it is truly a problem in our education system.