We all remember Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, right? These examples of the mistreatment of Black people highlighted the racial injustices in our nation. While there has been a lot of change in America around the attitudes, equality, and advocacy for Black people, has it really changed to the extent it could have? Despite these changes, the fact remains that Black people are treated unfairly. So, let’s dig a little deeper into the multifaceted injustices.

Before we talk about the present, we need a glimpse of the past. Let’s face it: Black people have been oppressed since the inception of slavery in America. This, followed by Jim Crow laws and segregation, sparked a long road of inequities experienced by Black people. Quite frankly, American citizens have been socialized to mistreat Black people. Simply put, it’s systemic racism. When people think of racism, they typically think of visible acts that expose one’s disdain for another group. However, systemic racism is invisible, exposing Black people to discrimination within the criminal justice system, education, housing, employment, health, wealth, and many other areas.

It’s disturbing that while Black People make up less than 15% of the population, Black people make up a disproportionate percentage of the prison population.

This is primarily due to unequal policing and harsher sentences than other races. Studies show that Black people are stopped and searched more than other races, detained in jail before trial, denied bail, made to pay higher bonds, and have higher imprisonment rates.

Unequal access to quality education due to socioeconomic status limits Black people’s ability to advance. This leads to the inability to land better employment opportunities, perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Those who graduate from colleges and universities find themselves underpaid and underemployed, creating a wage gap. Black students owe more after graduating and have different repayment patterns, leading to the student loan gap.

Discrimination in lending practices and housing appraisals has widened the gap for Black home ownership. In 2022, only 45% of Black people owned their homes, lower than all other races in America. Homeownership rates are lower, as are home values and housing returns Black people pay more for homes and bear higher property taxes than White people with homes of similar quality. All these factors contribute to the housing equity wealth gap that widens over generations.

The wealth gap between Black and White people has not changed since the 1950s. Contributing factors include the slowed wages of Black people, higher appreciation of assets owned by White people, and lower investment portfolios than White people. Economic reports show that in 2020, the average Black person earned about 20% less than the average White person. With such disparities in pay, how are Black people expected to bridge the wealth gap? Black people are more likely to have limited access to healthcare. Access is pivotal to having positive health outcomes.

Finances, lack of insurance coverage, and unfair treatment are barriers that affect Black people’s healthcare status. Plagued by shorter life expectancies, high infant and maternal mortality rates, cancer mortality, and COVID-19 disparities, Black people are aware of the need for change.

Environmental injustice is also a factor in systemic racism. Black communities have higher exposure rates than other races. Landfills and hazardous waste sites are most often located in Black neighborhoods. Lead poisoning and contaminated water affect Black communities more, particularly Black children.

Voting inequities also exist in the Black community. These inequities date back to the Jim Crow laws in the South. Black voters have faced barriers such as the purging of voter lists, restrictions on early and absentee voting, and strict photo ID requirements, as stated by a Harvard correspondent. “Gerrymandering” is still alive and well. It is the creation of electoral district boundaries to create favorable advantages for a particular group. Gerrymandering is a way to disenfranchise the Black vote alongside other people of color.

As Sam Cooke said, “It’s been a long time coming, but a change is gonna come.”

At least some Black people are hopeful that it will.

What can America do to progress toward the end of systemic racism? It took a while for America to wind up in the state regarding race relations, and there will not be an immediate solution. A systemic problem requires a systemic solution. To combat systemic racism, we must pursue systemic equality. This includes identifying and addressing biases in the justice and voting system, continuing advocacy to create change in various areas including environmental inequities, creating a just culture in the workforce and education, and reducing the wealth gap.

As individuals, we all have a part. Advocate by using your network, join an advocacy group, vote for those who support the end of factors that contribute to systemic racism, and commit to endure the fight.