Subtle Racism Worse Than Blatant Incidents

By Janice S. Ellis, Ph.D.

Subtle racism is worse that blatant incidents that might be encountered on a daily basis.  U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder warns about the subtle, institutionalized racism that has a more "pernicious" effect than the occasional bigoted outburst.

The Attorney General spoke about the different forms of racism during a commencement address this year at historically black Morgan State University in Baltimore.

Attorney General Holder is in the final year of his tenure as attorney general and has been addressing institutional racism more strongly and more frequently. He has weighed in on the inequities and disparities in the Justice system when it comes to equal justice for the same crimes across race. History and factual data show that blacks are treated more harshly for the same crimes committed by whites.

He says the Justice Department is working to reduce racial disparities in sentencing.

The Attorney General’s address was delivered on the 60th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that desegregated public schools. He took this opportunity to note that in some schools districts, "significant divisions persist and segregation has reoccurred," including through discipline policies that affect black males more than whites.

Attorney General Holder also noted that some states have placed new restrictions on voting that disproportionately impact African-Americans.

There is so much to be aware of and to teach when it comes to the racial disparities that are still so prevalent in our institutions, policies and our daily lives and interactions.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.

Feature Photo Credit: briebart.com