Racial discrimination continues outside of the justice system in many aspects of everyday life. These include but are not limited to profiling, housing, education, job searches, healthcare, and more.
Despite legal protections, racial and ethnic minorities still face both overt and subtle forms of bias that impact their social, economic, and personal lives. Below are key areas where racial discrimination remains prevalent:
Racial Discrimination in Everyday Life
1. Racial Profiling and Policing
Police Stops and Searches: Racial profiling is a significant issue in law enforcement, where minorities, especially Black and Latino individuals, are more likely to be stopped, searched, and arrested than their White counterparts. This occurs even when no crime has been committed, reinforcing a cycle of mistrust between law enforcement and communities of color. I wrote an award-winning novel, Betrayal in Black, on the topic of how racial injustice can impact a routine traffic stop. The book also provides insight on how to remedy these issues, educate officers, and compensate victims.
Example: A study by the Stanford Open Policing Project found that Black drivers were stopped more frequently than white drivers and were more likely to be searched, even though white drivers were found to have contraband at higher rates.
Airport Security and Public Spaces: Racial and religious profiling extends beyond policing. For example, Muslim and Middle Eastern people frequently report being subjected to extra scrutiny in airports, while Black and Latino individuals are often followed or surveilled in retail stores.
2. Housing Discrimination
Rental Discrimination: Minorities, particularly Black and Latino renters, are often discriminated against in the housing market. Landlords may refuse to rent to them, provide them with less favorable terms, or steer them toward certain neighborhoods based on race.
Example: A 2019 study by the Urban Institute found that African American and Latino renters were shown fewer rental units and offered higher rents or worse conditions than white renters with similar financial backgrounds.
Redlining and Mortgage Discrimination: Although illegal, the legacy of redlining—the practice of denying home loans or insurance to people based on their race or neighborhood—continues to affect minority homebuyers. People of color are more likely to be offered high-interest loans or subprime mortgages, which can lead to higher rates of foreclosure.
Example: During the 2008 housing crisis, Black and Latino homeowners were disproportionately targeted with predatory lending practices, resulting in higher foreclosure rates in minority neighborhoods.
4. Job Search and Workplace Discrimination
Racial Bias in Hiring: Discrimination in the job market is a well-documented problem. Employers often exhibit bias, either consciously or unconsciously, against applicants with "ethnic sounding" names or applicants who disclose their racial background. This bias can result in minorities being overlooked for interviews or job offers.
Example: A landmark study by researchers Marianne Bertrand and Sendhil Mullainathan found that resumes with traditionally white-sounding names (like Emily or Greg) received 50% more callbacks than identical resumes with Black-sounding names (like Jamal or Lakisha).
Wage Gaps: Even after being hired, people of color often face wage disparities. Black and Latino workers are paid less than white workers for doing the same job, with Black women and Latina women experiencing particularly wide wage gaps compared to their white male counterparts.
Promotion and Advancement Discrimination: Minorities are less likely to be promoted to leadership positions or receive the same opportunities for career advancement as their white colleagues. Implicit biases, such as stereotypes about leadership ability or cultural fit can hinder the upward mobility of minority workers.
5. Discrimination in Healthcare
Access to Quality Healthcare: People of color are more likely to experience barriers to healthcare access, including fewer opportunities to see specialists, longer wait times for medical care, and less access to high-quality facilities.
Example: Black women in the U.S. are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, reflecting disparities in access to prenatal care and the quality of care they receive during childbirth.
Bias in Medical Treatment: Racial and ethnic minorities often receive less aggressive treatment for the same medical conditions. Studies show that Black and Latino patients are less likely to receive pain medication, are diagnosed later with diseases like cancer, and are less likely to be referred for surgeries or specialist care.
Example: A 2016 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that many medical students and residents held false beliefs about biological differences between Black and white patients, such as believing Black patients had higher pain thresholds, which affected their treatment recommendations.
6. Discrimination in the Financial Sector
Loan Discrimination: In addition to mortgage discrimination, minorities face bias in other financial areas, such as personal loans and credit cards. People of color are often charged higher interest rates or are more likely to be denied loans altogether, even when they have the same creditworthiness as white applicants.
Example: A 2018 report from the Center for Investigative Reporting found that Black and Latino applicants were 60% more likely to be denied a mortgage compared to white applicants with similar financial profiles.
Credit Score Disparities: The credit scoring system disproportionately harms minorities. Factors like lower homeownership rates and income inequality result in people of color having lower credit scores, even when they have responsible credit behavior. This disparity impacts their ability to access credit, housing, and jobs.
7. Discrimination in Public Spaces
Consumer Racial Profiling: People of color, especially Black and Latino individuals, are more likely to experience racial profiling in retail environments, where they are followed, monitored, or accused of shoplifting without evidence.
Example: Incidents of "shopping while Black" are widely reported, where Black customers are treated as suspects in stores, often leading to confrontations or unwarranted calls to the police.
Racial Segregation in Social Spaces: Subtle forms of exclusion persist in restaurants, bars, and other public spaces where people of color may experience less courteous service, being seated in undesirable locations, or outright refusal of service.
8. Environmental Racism
Disparities in Environmental Hazards: Minority communities are more likely to live in areas with higher levels of pollution, hazardous waste, and environmental degradation. This is often a result of discriminatory zoning laws and industrial policies that disproportionately place environmental hazards near communities of color.
Example: The water crisis in Flint, Michigan, which disproportionately affected its Black and Latino residents, is an example of environmental racism, where government neglect allowed lead-contaminated water to poison thousands of residents.
9. Discrimination in Technology and Algorithms
Algorithmic Bias: Technology, including facial recognition software, artificial intelligence, and hiring algorithms, often perpetuates racial bias. For example, facial recognition technology has been found to be less accurate in identifying people of color, leading to false arrests or other negative outcomes.
Example: In 2020, several Black men were wrongfully arrested after facial recognition software mistakenly identified them as suspects in criminal investigations, highlighting how algorithmic bias can disproportionately harm people of color.
Racial discrimination remains a pervasive issue outside of the justice system, invading nearly every aspect of life, from employment and education to housing and healthcare.
These disparities are rooted in historical inequalities and reinforced by explicit and implicit biases in individuals, institutions, and even emerging technologies. Addressing these issues requires not only legal reform but also sustained efforts to combat systemic racism, educate the public, and promote equity in all areas of society.
Next: Part 4—Discrimination in College Admissions & Standardized Testing
Mark M. Bello is an attorney and author of the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series and children’s social justice/safety picture books. He also hosts the popular bi-weekly podcast, Justice Counts (https://www.spreaker.com/show/justice-counts_1). Mark’s books may be found at all online booksellers and on his website, at https://www.markmbello.com.
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