BLACK LIVES MATTER

We stand with Ferguson

For accompanying curriculum guide go to:

www.domesticworkers.org/ferguson
Michael Brown, 18 years old,
shot by Ferguson, MO police
Aug 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
Interpersonal
Racism

One racist tweet about

Ferguson

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