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

By banning federal agencies from considering systemic racism or equity in AI development, the order effectively outlaws the very efforts needed to fix these problems. —Joel Bervell, Time, 14 Nov. 2025

Kansas City’s Reparation Coalition is launching a fundraising campaign to produce a documentary and educate Kansas Citians about how the vestiges of slavery in Missouri and systemic racism disenfranchised Black residents here. —Mara Williams, Kansas City Star, 12 Nov. 2025

For Black men, systemic racism has inhibited their response to pain and emotional turmoil by shaming them out of vulnerability, which reduces the likelihood of them asking for help when needed. —Essence, 23 Oct. 2025

At the film’s outset, Inez kidnaps her young son Terry from foster care shortly after her release from prison, and A Thousand and One chronicles her attempt to parent despite the scourges of abuse, police brutality and systemic racism. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025

The new historical marker will honor the city's Chinese Laundry Era and the Moy family, who represent the experience of many Milwaukee Chinese Americans who found success in the laundry industry despite systemic racism from the US government and residents. —Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025

The office has launched investigations against school districts for teaching lessons on systemic racism, hosting empowerment gatherings for students of color and providing remedial help for Black youth, all of which the administration says discriminates against white students. —Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025

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

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