A reminder to the community: systemic racism is not just about the tools (but it’s a good start)

For those unfamiliar: In the episode, a woman is found responsible for a mass shooting which sets the country in a rage about the fact that a woman could use a gun. One character, Dianne, speaks out about the issue, pleading with the Senate that if women felt more safe and equal in their community then they would have no reason to carry a weapon. She further states that their community could facilitate this cultural shift or, in a flip tone, they could ban guns. Naturally, the community bans guns — hence, Dianne’s quote. What if we rephrase this: “I can’t believe this country hates Black people more than it loves [insert: the police, white privilege, etc.].” To me, the resemblance is uncanny. 

As the show very clearly conveys, getting rid of guns doesn’t solve the deep rooted issue that people feel unsafe and unequal in their fictional country (and, frankly, our country). And that’s because the police force, like a gun, is a tool of systemic racism, not the foundational issue itself. Defunding the police — or perhaps more accurately re-distributing funds for safety and justice measures — doesn’t fix the fact that various individuals will continue to have deep-set racial biases (see recent community happenings) that will continue to support the establishment of disparities spanning healthcare, SES, and overall treatment. Again, I want to be exceptionally clear: removing tools is important because tools aid in the metastasis, but this does not prevent the cause. So what might?

There are a few avenues that could help create a more just society [1]. Before presenting these, I must also be clear again that I am by no means an expert in these issues, which is why I do not provide clear plans or directives. Rather, this list — which is in no particular order other than the flutter of concerns that run rampant in my mind — should be a springboard for conversation, evaluation, and ultimately application. Now is absolutely the time when leaders and advocates in various fields should work together with the common goal of systemic reform.

1. Be accountable and make amends
   • Establish and normalize a culture of acknowledgment of the past and of privilege (Are we addicted to privilege? Spoiler — yes.)
   • Hold individuals who engage in hate speech, including and probably most importantly the president, accountable for their behavior — use of this language regularly and in media/policy creates a misconception that this language is not only permissible but accurate
     1. Speak out, educate, and intervene accordingly when wrong is done actively or passively (example from our own Lana Ruck)
   • Make reparations for historical and ongoing injustices
   • Acknowledge and dismantle white fragility
2. Decrease healthcare disparities related to race, ethnicity, and class (and of course, this extends to sexual orientation, disability status, etc).
   

   

   • Increase access to healthcare (including mental health services); this has been incredibly clear during COVID, but is present across various physical and mental health concerns
     1. Adopting universal healthcare
   • Promote justice and equity in healthcare
     1. Broadening our understanding of disease and cultural contributions to disease/disorder presentation to inform equitable assessment, identification, and diagnosis (don’t even get me started on how many assessment measures are derived and normed on predominantly white, highly-educated samples)
3. Teach citizens about bias, with an understanding that this learning occurs across the entire developmental spectrum:
   • Start education young and never stop
   • Increase positive exposure to diversity
     1. One reason for bias and the perpetuation of systemic racism and discrimination is lack of familiarity, causing (1) a perception of novelty and fear (a quick and adaptive response in some situations, such as not talking to or being wary of strangers) or (2) self-fulling prophecies and blind-acceptance of misconceptions about diverse individuals that are not reformed due to lack of experiences providing contradictory evidence.
     2. See also item 6, increase representation
   • Intervene in an intentional and empirically-driven way in places of work and education
4. Continue research in public health, anthropology, economics, and psychology to better understand factors that cause and perpetuate systemic racism as well as its effects and ways to intervene.
5. Understand and reform our justice system:
   • Decriminalize substance use; promote treatment and recovery: “instead of a war on poverty they’ve got a war on drugs so the police can bother me” ~ Changes, 2Pac
   • Reform and re-distribute funding of the police to more effective de-escalation, recovery, and care-based intervention.
6. Increase representation
   • Media (shows, ads, marketing, etc.) portrayals of black individuals and families are not only lacking, they can be highly misleading. Unfortunately, the effects of these biases are two-fold: damaging (1) black perception of self and (2) white perception of black.
   • Bolster black businesses (here is a modest start, but I highly recommend looking for your local black businesses and supporting them as well! For all you Indiana locals, check out this link from last week’s post.)