Throughout history, race has been a major component of human inequality and racial prejudices. The history of racial inequality in America dates back to the colonization of the African slave trade. Through the ages, different groups in society – including blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Indians, and Europeans – have experienced various levels of racism in their societies. This highlights the myriad ways in which it effects black Americans today, as well as how this inequality has affected their health, schooling, careers, and daily lives.
In Racial Inequity: Understanding Race and the Health Effects of Racism, psychiatrist David Harris provides a variety of insights into the root causes of systematic racism, white supremacy, and the health impacts that come along with it. He examines how white supremacy and the medical industry have colluded to maintain the unequal power structure of the nation. He contends that most medical professionals do not perceive these racial discrepancies in treatment as race-based. This allows white supremacy to dictate and maintain unequal access to healthcare. Dr. Harris claims that by understanding the relationship between racism and healthcare, black people can take control of their own health.
The medical profession has long maintained that genetics and hormones play a significant role in determining a person’s overall health and life expectancy. By examining the role of genetics and hormones, Harris provides evidence that suggests the disproportionate representation of African Americans in certain demographic groups is not accidental. Instead, he argues that genetically determined differences in melanin concentrations provide evidence of systematic inequality that is reinforced through the structural racism present in the United States. These differences in melanin concentrations reflect a hierarchy of racial inequality that has manifested itself through centuries of white supremacy.
Dr. Harris also examines the ways in which school segregation and legal discrimination create the conditions that make it difficult for black students to achieve equal opportunity in schools. He points out, “Disparate treatment of racial and ethnic groups in schools contributes to the patterns of racial and ethnic tensions that are now evident in American society.” Through his statistical analysis, he demonstrates that “a consistently greater number of black students residing in the most dense neighborhoods and attending higher quality schools are subjected to the legal system and the mass media on a more regular basis than white students.” The findings presented by the sociologist echo those made by civil rights and educational researchers. The discrepancies he documents in his statistical records prove that whites, through legal and social mechanisms, have historically controlled and maintained a large majority of the nation’s population.
The “racial injustice” that exists today in America is the direct result of the systematic racism that permeate our legal system, educational system, healthcare system and home mortgage market. According to Harris, “a history of white supremacy has produced a country where African Americans suffers from systematic prejudice, official intolerance and outright hostility toward them.” He emphasizes, “The alarming levels of racial intolerance documented reveal an important facet of the American Dream that has been systematically denied its true meaning and potential for true freedom.” It is “no wonder,” that “more Americans than ever before are speaking out.”
Harris, who is considered by many to be one of the most important critical race theorists of modern times, catalogs the historical facts that demonstrate the disproportionate impact of racism on the life experiences of black Americans. The statistical evidence he presents supports the claim, “A gene pool that produces blacks that are genetically less violent and more skillful than whites has been artificially created.” He further describes how “a vision of white supremacy” has created and encouraged white supremacy throughout the country. He documents the ways in which whites have used power, money and other resources to “select” individuals who are members of their own race to benefit from policies and laws that favor their group. As a result of centuries of systematic racism, many blacks in America live in poverty and are severely limited in their opportunities.
In his book, “The Color Barrier of American Life”, Harris provides insight into how “race” relates to much larger forces that shape our national identity. These include culture, religion, national identity, national leadership, economic power and a host of governmental policies. In addition, he identifies how these forces work to benefit members of dominant groups while denying opportunities to those who are members of racial or ethnic minorities. In his view, a “racially appropriate” goal is one that ensures equal opportunity for all. In other words, a critical race theory of racial inequality should aim to eliminate racial inequality “from the root”.
Harris also notes that many schools in the U.S., especially those serving black students, fail to meet even minimum educational standards. Such shortcomings are often the result of “systemic racism”, he states. “A society that believes it cannot achieve its goals through educational intervention can only be said to have an ideology.” Harris is correct when he states that “educational deficits among blacks” are “a serious problem…without which a person with a black skin cannot become a fully functioning member of the community.” However, he goes on to say, “We need not wait for school districts to solve these problems…we must look to ourselves.” This is an important contribution to the discussion surrounding the root causes of racial inequality, as it sets forth a positive vision for how we can overcome the persistent racism within the educational system, in the United States and elsewhere in the world.
