BLACK LIVES MATTERWe stand with Ferguson

For accompanying curriculum guide go to: www.domesticworkers.org/ferguson

Michael Brown, 18 years old,shot by Ferguson, MO policeAug 9, 2014 Michael Brown’s

mother

This is not an isolated incident

With a partner, discuss how this situation relates to other things you know about or have experienced.

You can consider racism, militarization of law enforcement, criminalization, repression of protest, etc.

RACISM

Individual and social beliefs, attitudes and actions that claim white people are superior to other people. In the US, white supremacy describes the organization of society based on white people having authority and power over culture, society, economy and government.

Internalized Interpersonal Institutional Structural

Internalized Racism

Internalized racism lies within individuals. There are private manifestations of racism that reside inside our minds.

Examples: prejudice, internalized oppression and privilege, and beliefs about race influenced by dominant culture.

Interpersonal Racism

Interpersonal racism occurs between individuals. Once we bring our private beliefs into our interacion with others racism is now in the interpersonal realm.

Examples: public expressions of racial prejudice, hate, bias and bigotry between individuals

One racist tweet about Ferguson

http://www.mediaite.com/online/thought-catalog-tweets-possibly-the-most-racist-commentary-about-ferguson-riots/

Interpersonal Racism

Institutional Racism

Institutional racism occurs within institutions. Instutional racism is discriminatory treatment, unfair policies and practices, and inequitable opportunities and impacts, based on race.

Example: Over 300 black people are killed each year by law enforcement. One every 28 hours.*

*Malcolm X Grassroots Movement study, http://mxgm.org/operation-ghetto-storm-2012-annual-report-on-the-extrajudicial-killing-of-313-black-people/

Institutional Racism

Black people are disproportionately

targets of police violence

Examples of institutional racism in Ferguson

● While ⅔ of the population of Ferguson is black, the Mayor is white, and 5 out of 6 city council members are white.

● Only 3 of 53 police agents in Ferguson are black

Structural Racism

Structural racism is racial bias across institutions and society. It’s the cumulative and compounded effects of an array of factors that systemactically privilege white people and disadvantage people of color.

Example: The “racial wealth divide” (where whites have many times more wealth of people of color) results from generations of discrimination and racial inequality.

Examples of Structural Racism

● Black unemployment in the US is 12%, while the national average is 6.7%.

o In St. Louis County, 47% of African American men ages 16-24 are unemployed.

● According to the US Census, 1 in 4 black families live in poverty. For women headed households, the number increases to almost 50%.

BLACK LIVES MATTERWe stand with Ferguson