Structural Racism and Community Building

Posted June 10, 2004
By The Aspen Institute Roundtable on Community Building
Get the Full Report:
Download Report
Aspen Structural Racism Community Building cover

Summary

This publication summarizes the Aspen Institute Roundtable’s perspective on racial equity in the United States. The conclusion? Even with the strides made, race continues to shape political, economic and cultural life. This report offers insights into integrating a racial equity perspective throughout the work of community building and socioeconomic justice.

Findings & Stats

Statements & Quotations

Key Takeaway

The structural racism lens illustrates that whiteness is the “default setting” for race in America

Structural racism is an ingrained system for allocating social privilege. While few Americans openly sanction racism or consciously engage in racist practices, many benefit from its existence just by following society’s standard conventions and norms, and overlooking the built-in advantages that whites have in most competitive areas. The structural racism lens shows that, as a society, Americans more or less take for granted a context of white leadership, dominance and privilege.