Race was conceptualized in order to categorize the variation in human skin color and physical features, establish a hierarchy based on skin tone, and justify the positions of racial groups such as the enslavement of black people. Although race is a social construct, the effects as well as the struggles racial minorities experience are real. Racial minorities typically find themselves struggling to wade through racism weaved into our political and social institutions. Institutionalized discrimination can take place in the accumulation of wealth, the legal system, and education. These institutionalized forms of racism result in social and economic inequities that people of color consistently have to face.
With the institutionalization of racism, we find a new form of segregation. One not established by law or policies, but by “coincidence” and “random housing patterns”. Racial segregation and non-White poverty rates are conflated to contribute to concentrated disadvantage. This can be largely attributed to mortgages and insurance redlining, real estate steering, and even blockbusting (Lipsitz 2006:117). Redlining was primarily practiced by financial institutions to prevent Black communities from receiving financial assistance such as loans or mortgages (117). The practice, however, was deemed illegal and discriminatory so the Fair Housing Act was established in an attempt to ban redlining. When redlining was prominent, African American families and communities were frequently targeted by the financial institutions. Although outlawed, the redlining is covertly practiced even today and the effects from past practice remain. The descendants of those affected by redlining live in those poor neighborhoods that are racially segregated. The displacement of current residents has been a main issue in the area. Because of the influx of White people entering predominantly black areas, lack of affordable housing has been a concern for former residents as a result of gentrification. Some effects of the phenomenon are: higher rents, higher taxes, and higher land value. All of these housing patterns have essentially led to what we now observe as de facto segregation. Institutionalized racism also exists in the economy as minorities struggle in accumulating income and wealth. One of the largest discussion is our country’s growing racial wealth gap. Sociologist have found that the wealth gap between whites and non-whites typically leads to racial minorities struggling accumulate assets. Assets play a huge role in racial inequality in wealth. Home ownership rates for Black Americans are approximately 20 percent lower than rates for White Americans; thus concluding that Black people typically possesses less of this source of wealth (National Research Council et al. 2001:222). Even when looking at non-Whites homeowners, their homes typically have a lower home value than their White counterparts, they have a hard time in amassing wealth. This resulted from when redlining was widely practiced in America. Because, financial institutions typically marked no-White …show more content…
There is an inequity in resources and funding in public schooling and, once again, this correlates with race. Because more affluent districts have a disproportionately larger number of White students than minority students, they receive more state funding than those districts primarily made up of minority students. This due to public schools primarily receiving their funds from property taxes. Areas with more wealth typically possesses better funded schools (Ladson-Billing 1998:20). As mentioned previously, these areas that have amassed a significant amount of wealth are primarily consisted of White
With the institutionalization of racism, we find a new form of segregation. One not established by law or policies, but by “coincidence” and “random housing patterns”. Racial segregation and non-White poverty rates are conflated to contribute to concentrated disadvantage. This can be largely attributed to mortgages and insurance redlining, real estate steering, and even blockbusting (Lipsitz 2006:117). Redlining was primarily practiced by financial institutions to prevent Black communities from receiving financial assistance such as loans or mortgages (117). The practice, however, was deemed illegal and discriminatory so the Fair Housing Act was established in an attempt to ban redlining. When redlining was prominent, African American families and communities were frequently targeted by the financial institutions. Although outlawed, the redlining is covertly practiced even today and the effects from past practice remain. The descendants of those affected by redlining live in those poor neighborhoods that are racially segregated. The displacement of current residents has been a main issue in the area. Because of the influx of White people entering predominantly black areas, lack of affordable housing has been a concern for former residents as a result of gentrification. Some effects of the phenomenon are: higher rents, higher taxes, and higher land value. All of these housing patterns have essentially led to what we now observe as de facto segregation. Institutionalized racism also exists in the economy as minorities struggle in accumulating income and wealth. One of the largest discussion is our country’s growing racial wealth gap. Sociologist have found that the wealth gap between whites and non-whites typically leads to racial minorities struggling accumulate assets. Assets play a huge role in racial inequality in wealth. Home ownership rates for Black Americans are approximately 20 percent lower than rates for White Americans; thus concluding that Black people typically possesses less of this source of wealth (National Research Council et al. 2001:222). Even when looking at non-Whites homeowners, their homes typically have a lower home value than their White counterparts, they have a hard time in amassing wealth. This resulted from when redlining was widely practiced in America. Because, financial institutions typically marked no-White …show more content…
There is an inequity in resources and funding in public schooling and, once again, this correlates with race. Because more affluent districts have a disproportionately larger number of White students than minority students, they receive more state funding than those districts primarily made up of minority students. This due to public schools primarily receiving their funds from property taxes. Areas with more wealth typically possesses better funded schools (Ladson-Billing 1998:20). As mentioned previously, these areas that have amassed a significant amount of wealth are primarily consisted of White