02/28/2024
Say it loud!
What is systemic racism? š¤
Imagine a guy who hates disabled people builds a hotel. So he bans all disabled people, and builds it in such a way as to specifically make access very difficult for them. Years later, he sells the hotel to a new owner who, in fact, has absolutely no problem with disabled people.
So you have a hotel where the owner doesnāt have a problem with the disabled, and neither do any of the staff... HOWEVER... due to the actions of the previous owner, the hotel is still built in such a way that it doesn't accommodate them (no disabled parking, no ramps, and no extra considerations). So, although the people who currently operate and own the hotel are not actively discriminating, they are actually operating a system that was designed to discriminate, and need to fix it, even if they are not to blame for it.
It's the same with racism. The discriminatory practices of the past still have ramifications today, and even if we aren't to blame for them, we must recognize them.
Dear white people,
No one is asking you to apologize for the actions of your ancestors. We are asking you to dismantle the systems of oppression they built that you still maintain, and still benefit from. āā