Some peoples have endured centuries of overt and intentional oppression. In this blog post, I am looking at just one specific aspect of the way that this tragedy continues.
Reportedly, there will be $3.3 million spent on educating Canadians on systemic racism.
Like a fish in water, when some of us live lives of relative privilege, it can be difficult to see or comprehend the challenges that others may face as they try to get ahead in life.
People of colour can pay different amounts for houses, cars, insurance, etc., based on their ethnicity. They can be less likely to receive bank loans, or a favourable interest rate.
photo from CBC News
Recently, the CBC did a piece on appraisals for houses. When journalists of different ethnicities separately posed as the homeowner, there were discrepancies with the appraisals.
Privileged people may not be aware that others are denied acceptance into schools/colleges/universities of their choice, and might have less access to scholarships. It might escape their notice when others are denied jobs, paid less, or promoted less frequently.
These examples indicate that, over time, in our society, it can be much more difficult for some people to acquire wealth. These financial hurdles demonstrate a key aspect of systemic racism.