This means that, when people of color who live in redlined communities get ready to sell their homes, they receive far less in proceeds and have far less capital to leverage.Īdditionally, these communities tend to have a lower tax base and as a result, their schools have fewer resources to educate children of color. These may have changed over time, resulting in a facade of "equality," but the residual effects reverberate throughout entire societal systems, said Andra Gillespie, an associate professor of political science and director of the James Weldon Johnson Institute at Emory University.įor example, while redlining - a multifaceted practice of denying financial, government and other services to people in certain neighborhoods or communities based on race or ethnicity - is illegal, the homes in those communities, as a result of that long-standing practice, often haven't appreciated at the same rate as in white suburban communities, sociology and policy experts said. Systemic racism: Refers to the rules, practices and customs once rooted in law. Here's a breakdown on the phrases by those who are seeking to dismantle racism. I don't need you to feel my pain I need you to have influence with those who are responsible for my pain to help address the issues." "If you are a white ally, you listen to the messaging and you go back to your people, your company, your institution, your father and you share what you learned and heard. "For far too many whites, if there is not a boogey man who can be pointed out and forced to apologize then racism doesn't exist," said Mark Anthony Neal, a professor of African and African American Studies at Duke University. Understanding these terms and their meanings is important, sociology and African American experts say, for anyone who hopes to be a meaningful ally in tackling racism.