Systemic Racism

Systemic Racism: A Clear and Unsatisfying Choice, But One That Must Be Made

By Skye Miechkota Edited by Manisha Kumar

Growing outcries against police brutality, white supremacist violence, and persistent socioeconomic and health inequalities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic have brought systemic racism into the focus of the presidential debate. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has brought increasing pressure to address structures and institutions that discriminate on the basis of race and result in violence and vast inequalities. It was a key issue discussed in both of the presidential debates, and public opinion on the need for government action has polarized significantly along party lines.78

The Republicans

If you text “woke” to the Trump 5-digit number, you can be connected to “Black Voices for Trump,” a Trump-created group that promises economic opportunities for minority entrepreneurs and workers.79 Trump’s current campaign has featured ads in Black newspapers and radio stations in order to gain the support of racialized voters80 — however, underneath this strategy and rhetoric lies a plan that targets and criminalizes racialized Americans. The bullet-point campaign “agenda” published on the Donald Trump website, the nearest thing to a 2020 platform released by the Republican party, makes no mention of systemic racism81. Nor does the 69-page 2016 platform that they recycled for this year.82

Increased Policing & Incarceration

Trump’s campaigning and presidency have been fueled with narratives of “law and order”.83 In his agenda, he calls for increased funding for law enforcement as well as harsher penalties for assaults on police officers.84 Blatantly targeting people of colour, the agenda specifies plans to deport all non-citizen “gang members” and schedule drive-by shootings as acts of domestic terrorism.85 This, while the Trump government has ignored and repeatedly defended violent white supremacist organizations declared in October by the Department of Homeland Security as the largest domestic terror threat in the country.86

78 Pew Research Center, “Voters attitudes about race and gender are even more divided than in 2016,” October 6, 2020.

79 “Black Voices for Trump,” Donald J. Trump for President, accessed October 11, 2020.. 80 John Blake, “Trump Called Him 'My African American.' His Life Hasn't been the Same since,” CNN Wire Service, Sep 12. 81 “Trump campaign announces president’s 2nd term agenda: fighting for you,” Donald J. Trump for President, last modified August 23, 2020. 82 “Republican Platform 2016,” Republican National Committee, accessed October 13, 2020. 83 Kevin Drakulich et al., “Race and Policing in the 2016 Presidential Election: Black Lives Matter, the Police, and Dog Whistle Politics,” 84 “Trump campaign announces president’s 2nd term agenda: fighting for you.” 85 See note 7. 86 Department of Homeland Security, “Homeland Threat Assessment 2020,” October 6, 2020: 18,

Trump’s list plans to end cashless bail, keep criminals incarcerated until trial, block financial support for immigrants, and end access to public services for undocumented immigrants such as welfare and education. He also calls to remove the status of all sanctuary cities, which protect immigrants from being detained or deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).87

A Racist Campaign

Given the absence of an official 2020 platform, one can look at Trump’s current presidency and campaigning to evaluate his intentions in addressing systemic racism. He was condemned in September for releasing an overtly racist ad featuring Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, kneeling in front of members of the Black church community as flashing images of burning police cars, and violent crowds were cast on the screen.88 When asked to directly condemn white supremacists during the first presidential debate, Trump did not and instead called for a known violent racist group to “stand back and stand by”, bringing images of a military call to action rather than condemnation. The group, Proud Boys, not only heard the message but embraced it, incorporating the phrase into their logo as their new slogan. 89

The Democrats

In a direct response to the BLM movement, the Democrats promise to remove Confederate flags and statues and create a research commission on the effects of slavery, Jim Crow laws and segregation to begin to “study reparations” for Black Americans. Their platform acknowledges the historical and systemic abuses faced by Indigenous, Latino and Black communities in the United States.90 With public criticism of Trump’s sympathy towards white supremacist groups dominating discourse, it can be easy to let the Democrats slip by without being held accountable for their claims. Their platform outlines a plan that, while beginning to make positive change, has been highlighted as lacking substance when it comes to structural change.91

Tweaks for Policing

In contrast with the Republican campaign, the Democrats address the need to make changes to policing — however, they fall short of meeting the BLM advocacy groups’ demands for an overall defunding of police departments.92 They plan to increase transparency and incorporate mandatory anti-racism, bias and non-violence trainings into policing, as well as reduce barriers to prosecuting officers for civil rights violations.93 The

87 “Trump campaign announces president’s 2nd term agenda: fighting for you.”; Center for Immigration Studies, “Map: Sanctuary Cities, Countries and States,” 88 MSNCB, “Trump Campaign Ad Slammed as Overtly Racist,” September 14, 2020,

89 Osterheldt, Jeneé, “Trump's American Horror Story: 'Proud Boys, Stand Back and Stand by',” Boston Globe (Online), Sep 30, 2020. 90 Democratic National Committee, “2020 Democratic Party Platform,” July 27, 2020: 40, 91 Erikson, Bo, “Biden not in favour of defunding police, campaign says,” CBS News, June 8, 2020, 92 See note 14. 93 Democratic National Committee, 33.

platform recognizes that the “War on Drugs” is in itself a result of systemic racism leading to the mass incarceration of Black Americans. It details a plan to decriminalize marijuana and remove the discrepancies in drug laws, such as between crack and cocaine that discriminate on the basis of race.94 Rather than take the lead of frontline communities and advocacy groups, who have called for community based first responders and alternative crisis support, the Democrats plan to “reinvigorate community policing approaches,” tweaking their operations rather than re-structuring their overall use and responsibilities.95

Decriminalizing Poverty & Tackling Social Inequalities

In addressing underlying causes of disproportionate incarceration rates and violence, Democrats focus on measures for at-risk youth. They aim to break what they refer to as the “school-to-prison pipeline” of racialized children. Their reforms in education include increases in funding for social workers, psychologists and after school programs, as well as an incorporation of black history into school curriculums. 96

The disproportionate effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on racialized communities is also acknowledged in the platform, with plans to extend coverage of the Affordable Care Act. It also describes environmental factors causing health disparities, which Democrats plan to address through investments in housing and environmental regulations, and restrictions on gun laws.97 They also vouch to increase funding for Indigenous health and education programs, ensure the honoring of treaty rights, and begin buy-backs for Indigenous lands.98

A Vote for Human Rights

The Trump agenda for the 2020-2024 term actively discriminates and criminalizes racialized Americans. While the Democrats’ platform addresses systemic racism and is tailored to appeal to the demands of the largest current anti-racist movement, it falls short of concretely addressing the needs of other racialized groups in the country such as Indigenous and Latino communities or in making deeper structural changes to the role of policing in the country. During a radio interview, Biden told the Black radio host interviewing him, “Well, I tell you what, if you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't Black”.99 Despite the clear dangers of a continued Trump government, citizens and supporters must be sure to continue to hold the Democrats accountable and not allow them to float in shallow rhetoric and inaction.

94 Democratic National Committee, 36. 95 Erikson, Bo, “Biden not in favour of defunding police, campaign says,”; Democratic National Committee, 37. 96 See note 16. 97 Democratic National Committee, 31, 47-8. 98 Democratic National Committee, 32, 44. 99 Love, David A, “Trump's a Disaster for Black Voters, but they also Need to Hold Biden Accountable,” CNN Commentary, May 27, 2020.