After watching the video of Professor Tricia Rose, I have defined two significant points about structural racism and its meaning. The first point is that structural racism presents a concept that exists outside of people’s perception. The speaker explained how implementing colorblindness principles in individuals could only work in conditions where structural racism is not already present (Professor Tricia Rose, 2020). Otherwise, the introduction of colorblindness principles in the population’s perception will point to the lack of connection between racism and systematic discrimination of people of color. It is important to raise the public’s awareness about the issue of structural racism. However, it is vital to convey to the public the idea that changes in individual perception cannot eliminate systematic racism unless its institutional aspect is addressed. Therefore, the point explains why White people who do not have privileges and do not consider themselves racists believe in race equality but do not know the importance of eliminating structural racism.
Next, structural racism presents a complex issue that includes several institutions. Moreover, the interconnectedness between these institutions represents a major problem for people of color. The speaker empathizes dynamic and consequential character of the structural racism institutions by explaining how housing is often perceived as a single issue, but in reality, housing issue causes problems in other areas. The point draws attention to the complexity of structural racism and explains why actions aimed at solving one problem cannot have a substantial effect unless other, more extensive issues are addressed. Thus, while structural racism can be hard to identify for people who perceive all laws and policies as racially equal, the complex and dynamic character makes it even more incomprehensible to a privileged population.
Reference
Professor Tricia Rose. (2020). How structural racism works [Video]. YouTube. Web.