systemic racism

noun

: the oppression of a racial group to the advantage of another as perpetuated by inequity within interconnected systems (such as political, economic, and social systems)

especially : white supremacy sense 2

Systemic racism is a machine that runs whether we pull the levers or not, and by just letting it be, we are responsible for what it produces. We have to actually dismantle the machine if we want to make change.

—Ijeoma Oluo

… systemic racism is far more than a matter of racial prejudice and individual bigotry. It is a material, social, and ideological reality that is well-imbedded in major U.S. institutions.

—Joe R. Feagin

Arguably, the seminal civil rights issue of our time is the systemic racism permeating the criminal "justice" system. The Black Lives Matter movement has brought to national attention the fact that people of color are disproportionately targeted by police stops, arrests, and police violence.

—Leah Penniman

Our nation faces a fork in the road and a decision to either continue down the same path of systemic racism or to confront our past honestly.

—Bree Newsome

Doing away with the Senate filibuster would not, of course, mean the end of systemic racism. But it would make anti-racist policies far easier to pass than they are today, and it would help dismantle both the legacy and machinery of Jim Crow.

—David Litt

Many Black homeowners have reported that their homes are being valued at far less—sometimes $500,000 less—when appraisers know that the homeowners are Black. This means untold millions have disappeared from the Black community. This is systemic racism at work …

—Touré

systemically racist adjective

The film also shows how systemically racist rules like redlining continue to benefit one set of descendants while slowly destroying another.

—Odie Henderson

Examples of systemic racism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Those from ethnic minority backgrounds face even greater challenges due to systemic racism and the barriers that come with it. —Ella Alexander, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025

Jyoti Madhusoodanan analyzes the substantial evidence that this higher rate is a direct result of systemic racism, environmental pollution, and other experiences related to discrimination. —Lauren Gravitz, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2025

A lot of Black folks, due to systemic racism and generational trauma, face massive hurdles. —Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025

Instead, it’s concentrated in areas with higher rates of poverty, unemployment and low homeownership, which experts have suggested is the long-term result of systemic racism, residential segregation and a lack of access to resources. —David Clarey, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2025

Even Tana French’s latest crime novels have featured a cop who retires due to the systemic racism of his previous job. —Grace Byron, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025

Poverty and a lack of trust in the police, both of which are more prominent in communities of color, can hinder solving crimes, as can systemic racism, Solinas-Saunders said. —Amy Lavalley, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025

Twenty years ago, the storm devastated New Orleans and exposed the fatal convergence of environmental collapse, systemic racism and government neglect. —Melissa Jun Rowley, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2025

The Lucky Ones centers on Joseph and Mary Tape, immigrants who defied systemic racism in 19th century San Francisco to demand equal rights for their children. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for systemic racism

• absolutism
• adventurism
• aestheticism
• africanism
• agnosticism
• alcoholism
• anabolism
• anachronism
• anglicanism
• antagonism
• arianism
• asceticism