The term “systemic racism” has been used frequently in recent months. What do we mean by that? Systemic racism is discrimination that is rooted in society’s systems, such as institutions, housing, government, education, policy, etc.
The term “systemic racism” has been used frequently in recent months. What do we mean by that? Systemic racism is discrimination that is rooted in society’s systems, such as institutions, housing, government, education, policy, etc.
In the wake of George Floyd’s death, I’ve made it a point to better educate myself about the injustices experienced by Black, Indigenous and People of Color in the US. There is a long history of systemic racism in our country, some of which I was aware of and some I wasn’t.
Systemic racism is often rooted in the implicit or hidden biases of the individuals who make up those systems. It’s present in most, if not all, social systems, including health care. Implicit bias is bias we often do not know we have.
There’s a lot of talk among those who work in human services about social determinants of health. But what exactly does that term mean? What are social determinants of health and how do they impact our work at FSSA? And, most importantly, what can we do about them?