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Effects Of Racism

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Racism is an individual, institutional, and societal issue that negatively affects the lives of many African-Americans. Structural racism is a term used to describe the institutional and societal levels of racism. These levels have caused negative effects in the mental and physical public health of African-Americans, and yet are rarely discussed. Hiding or ignoring the impact of racism on public health disparities is not the same as fighting against them. It is allowing them to be repeated without consequence. The effects of structural racism can be detrimental to the education of children in certain neighborhoods and communities. Structural racism such as socioeconomic status, racialized police violence and health disparities give …show more content…

This police violence is a result of racism, and the ideals of America long ago that has carried into today’s generation.
Health disparities in people of color are a byproduct of racism. “Race is a social construction with no biological basis, whereas racism refers to a social system that reinforces racial group inequity,” (Garcia and Sharif, 2). Usually, only race is involved in research on public health, but racism plays a much larger role in public health than most people think. “For example, being Black (a race category) does not tell us much about one’s health risks. However, being Black in America (a racially stratified society) has negative implications for educational and professional trajectories, socioeconomic status, and access to health care services and resources that promote optimal health, which in combination, may reduce or exacerbate health risks,” (Garcia and Sharif, 2). The idea of being Black in America has different implications than just being Black. Race and racism are two very different things, and are not interchangeable.
Discrimination against African-Americans adds to the idea that racism is a public health concern. One of the most debilitating results from racism is fear. “When I was your age the only people I knew were black, and all of them were powerfully, adamantly, dangerously afraid,” (Coates, 6). This fear is caused by the upper hand that whites hold over blacks in

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