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

The disparities in cancer diagnoses and death rates stem from a variety of factors that can be difficult to disentwine, including the enduring effects of systemic racism and the social, economic and physical conditions people live in that influence their health and quality of life. — Lily Alvino, NBC news, 24 June 2026

For some racial justice advocates, such cases serve as a constant reminder of the consequences of systemic racism in law enforcement. — Travis Loller, Arkansas Online, 20 June 2026

Keeping Americans in the darkness about the parts of our history that include systemic racism not only perpetuates ignorance, but is a moral failure. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026

For some racial justice advocates, such cases serve as a constant reminder of the consequences of systemic racism in law enforcement. — CBS News, 19 June 2026

Ray McMillian is a talented Black classical violinist who defies systemic racism and his family’s discouragement to achieve musical success. — Janey Wetzel, PEOPLE, 19 June 2026

For some racial justice advocates, such cases serve as a constant reminder of the consequences of systemic racism in law enforcement. — Travis Loller, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026

But of course, the systemic racism and violence at the root of those protests runs as deep as the founding of America itself, and artworks addressing those realities foster a more substantive historical reckoning today. — Greg Allen, ARTnews.com, 7 June 2026

In fact, following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, wide swaths of corporate America rushed to adopt their own versions of the Rooney Rule amid intense pressure to address systemic racism in America. — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 15 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for systemic racism

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