This is the Weakest Argument Ever for “Debunking” Institutional Racism
The presence of legal equality doesn’t disprove the existence of institutionalized injustice
Of all the arguments made by conservatives to debunk the existence of institutional racism, one stands out above the rest as the most idiotic of them all.
I’m sure you’ve come across it.
It sounds like this:
Institutional racism is a myth because, unlike during segregation, there are no laws mandating racial oppression. Indeed, the law prohibits discrimination, so whatever racism still exists cannot be institutional. Instead, it is the work of isolated individuals, acting without any structural authority.
If anything, I’ve made the argument sound more intelligent than it is. But whether in my iteration or the more common, “It’s not 1963 anymore, Black people!” version, the argument is nonsensical.
Institutional action is not merely another way of saying “legal action.”
Indeed, that limited interpretation comports with no definition of “institutional” found in any dictionary or in common usage.
Institutions such as the labor market, justice system, housing markets, schools, or electoral systems…
