Institutional racism

Institutional racism, also systemic racism, is a form of institutional discrimination based upon the person's race or ethnic group, which is realized with policies and administrative practices throughout an organization and a society that give unfair advantage to an ethnic group and unfair or harmful treatment of other groups. The practice of institutional racism is manifested as racial discrimination in criminal justice, employment, housing, healthcare, education and political representation.

The term institutional racism was coined by Stokely Carmichael and Charles V. Hamilton, in the book Black Power: The Politics of Liberation (1967), which explains that whilst overt, individual racism is readily perceptible, institutional racism is less perceptible for being "less overt, far more subtle" in nature. That institutional racism "originates in the operation of established and respected forces in the society, and thus receives far less public condemnation than [individual racism]".

In the U.K., William Macpherson, in the report of the murder of Stephen Lawrence (1999) defined institutional racism as: "The collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture, or ethnic origin. [Institutional racism] can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour that amount to discrimination through prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness, and racist stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people."

Individual or formal equality of opportunity typically disregards systemic or institutional aspects of inequality and racism. Institutional racism could be caused by power imbalance. Combating institutional racism is a motivation for structural changes. Substantive equality with equality of outcomes for people of different races and ethnicity could be one way of preventing institutional racism. Diversity, equity, and inclusion can be applied to diminish institutional racism.