Essay On Institutional Discrimination

Institutional discrimination still exists in the United States. It is unfair methods, indirect treatment of people who are embedded in the operating procedures, policies, laws or targets large organizations, such as government agencies, schools, banks and courts that provide a negative attitude toward a group of people based on their race, gender, nationality, sexual orientation and age. It also occurs in any other type of social institution including religion, education and marriage. Institutional discrimination, mainly against Blacks and Latinos populations, can bring conflict in societies by passing laws to promote racism inequality education and can perpetuate religious attitude.

Institutionalized discrimination includes laws and decisions that reflect racism. The 1896 Plessy vs. Ferguson U.S. Supreme Court case, ruled in favor of "separate but equal" public facilities between African Americans and non-African Americans. This ruling was later rescinded in 1954 by the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. This ruling was said to quell racism, however, institutional discrimination is still evident today in larger and

the criminal justice system is the biggest source of unequal treatment and injustice, where people get punished based on their race. African-Americans are directly targeted and punished in a much more aggressive way than white people. In New York City, Latinos and Blacks get stopped at a higher rate than whites. Blacks are more likely to remain in prison awaiting trial than whites (Quigley). According to New York City Police Department, “NY police 80% stops were of blacks and Latinos, when whites were stopped, only 8%” (Quigley). Blacks and Latinos aren’t treating equally in NY City. Also, in California, American Civil Liberties Union found blacks are three times more likely to be stopped than whites. This shows institutional discrimination, mainly against Blacks, Latinos and they treated based on their race