SESSION:
INSTITUTIONAL RACISM
Part 1:
Defining
Racism
Part 2:
Institutional
Racism in
Policy (laws)
WHAT THIS WILL LOOK LIKE:
For the next part of this conversation, we will break up the work
in two parts to make it easier for you to process information:
Part 1: Defining Racism
Part 2: Institutional
Racism in Policy (laws)
• Here, we start to
define the term itself
in two parts:
• Individual Racism
• Institutional Racism
• Our focus will be
Institutional
Here, we look at how
laws have impacted
racism across the U.S.
Focus on three examples
of racist policy:
• “Sundown Towns”
• Restrictive Covenants
• Anti Miscegenation
Laws
PART 1: DEFINING RACISM
 To s t a r t o f f , yo u a r e n o w g o i n g to t a ke a s h o r t s u r v ey :
I s t h i s r a c i s m? S u r vey
I d e n t i f y i f t h e f o l l ow i n g s t a te me n t s a r e exa m p l e s o f r a c i s m: C i r c l e Ye s o r N o - B e g i n
by a n s we r i n g t h e s e by yo u r s e l f , t h e n d i s c u ss w i t h p e r s o n n ex t to yo u , f i n a l l y w e w i l l
discuss these as a class
 1 . T h e b e l i e f t h a t a l l A f r i ca n - A m e r i c a n s a r e l a z y a n d a r e o n w e l f a r e - Ye s o r N o
 2 . T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f C a l i fo r n i a D av i s M e d i c a l S c h o o l d e ny i n g a d m i s s i o n to a s t u d e n t
b a s e d o n r a c e a n d / o r et h n i c i t y -Ye s o r N o
 3 . A n A r a b - A m er i c a n s t u d e n t w h o i s s to p p e d b y a i r p o r t p o l i c e f o r s u s p e c te d
te r r o r is t a c t i v i t y - Ye s o r N o
 4 . A M ex i c a n f a t h e r w h o d o e s n o t a l l ow h i s d a u g h te r to d a te a yo un g m a n f r o m E l
S a l v a d o r - Ye s o r N o
 5 . A n e m p l oye r w h o h i r e s t h e yo un g w h i te w o m a n o v e r t h e A f r i c a n A m e r i c a n
w o m a n ev e n t h o u g h t h ey h av e s a m e q u a l i fi ca t i o n s f o r j o b - Ye s o r N o
QUESTION(S) TO CONSIDER:
 How would you define racism?
 What conditions, variables, factors, or circumstances
are needed in order for there to be racism?
Take 2 mins on your own to define racism right now:
SW Partner check in- 1 min each
Bringing definitions out to the floor…
RACISM: DEFINITIONS…
Individual Racism
Institutional Racism
 How would you describe
this?
 How would you describe
this?
“Stupid
wetbacks taking
all our jobs!”
FOCUS ON: INSTITUTIONAL RACISM
The Fancy Definition:
System (rules) or procedures/patterns in all walks of life, i.e.
education, housing, businesses, employment, professional
associations, religion, media, etc., whose ef fect is to
perpetuate (support) and maintain the power, influence and
well-being of one group over another.
Take 1 min to annotate the definition and pick out:
 Key words
 Adjectives or verbs that are important
HERE’S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:
 Institutional Racism is about WHERE, WHO, & HOW it is
happening: Visuals to Process 
HOW DOES THIS WORK?...
 For us to SEE racism a little better, let’s consider this idea:
The Telescoping Effect of Racism
Attitudes
Beliefs
Self Interest
(Individual
Racism)
Church
Labor
Legal
Health
Economics
Education
Political
Housing
(Institutional
Racism)
Aesthetics
Religion
Music
Philosophy
Values
Needs
Beliefs
(Cultural Racism)
TAKING A LOOK AT DATA…
 We will now see what the numbers can tell us about
Institutional Racism:
What do these numbers tell you about our level of
institutional racism in the U.S.? Time for you to make
some conclusions :
You’ll be looking at:
 Prisons
 Universities
 Drug Charges
 Business
PRISONS:
UNIVERSITIES:
DRUG CHARGES:
BUSINESS:
WRAPPING HEADS AROUND THIS…
 SO what does this mean? What are you thinking right now?
 In looking at institutional racism, what is the lowest common
denominator that guides this behavior?
 How would you define power?
 How does power work?
 How does power impact the people underneath it?
Let’s take a look at power in Ferguson, MO.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
REFLECTION
 Let’s wrap this up with some writing and making sure you are
comfortable with the definition(s) of racism and institutional
racism- You are doing T WO dif ferent items of writing:
 1 . Explain the dif ference between individual racism vs.
institutional racism
 2. Summarize the role that power plays in racism
PART 2: INSTITUTIONAL RACISM
DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
What you are doing today:
 Reviewing race, racism, and institutional racism
definitions
 Analyzing THREE primary source documents that
demonstrate how institutional racism has worked in
the past
 You will be working in pairs then fours to do the
reading and analysis
 You will be demonstrating your understanding of
institutional racism through the document analysis
by brainstorming/prepping for writing blog end of
week
REVIEWING TERMS TO KNOW:
 I will be showing you a series of pictures
 For every picture, with your partner identify if the picture
demonstrates either:
1. Race
2. Racism
3. Institutional racism
We will then talk about your reasons to make sure the language
is comfortable in your heads…
DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
 You will be using the packet that was posted online
today for you to print and have with you
 We will be looking at three different documents that
show you how institutional racism works in the real
world
 You will be working with your SW partner and
eventually you will be working in 4s
INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTITUTIONAL RACISM
DOCUMENTS:
1. Read the text and information for every document.
2. Use the Thinking Log to answer the questions for
EACH document
3. You will answer the same questions for every
document.
We will do the first one together!
Sundown Towns!
SUN DOWN TOWNS
Identify who is targeted in
this law, code, policy. i.e.
blacks, whites, Mexicans, etc
Write down 2-3 pieces of
evidence that demonstrate
the idea of Institutional
racism the most
Explain: How/why are the
quotes or lines you wrote
down examples of
Institutional racism
Comment: What are your
thoughts, reactions, questions
How does this law affect the
people who are being
targeted?
TIME FOR YOU TO WORK
 With your SW partner, you will now do the same analysis for
the other two documents
 Questions, concerns, thoughts, prayers?
 Now, that you have analyzed in pairs, time to share with T WO
other people
 Turn to T WO other people either next to you or behind you…
 EVERY Person should have AT LEAST ONE quote from each
document to discuss and help analyze
 You are trying to help each other really analyze and
understand these documents and what they mean
DEBRIEF ON THE FLOOR
In your groups of four, select one person to
discuss the remaining documents out to the
floor…
Let’s go group by group and talk this out on
the floor…
BRAINSTORM/PREP FOR BLOG WRITING
Brainstorm/Prep: Use the last document in the packet
to do the following
 Define Institutional racism.
 Construct a brainstorm/prep using the THREE
documents you read/analyzed to prep for a blog
writing piece at end of week. You are answering the
following question:
How are these documents examples of institutional
racism?