Tauya Forst, a professor of justice studies at College of DuPage, moderated the “Let’s Talk about Systemic Racism” event on Feb. 9, 2022. The event was virtually hosted at the Glen Ellyn Public Library. Students were encouraged to participate in live discussions with Forst. Her main goal is to educate students and raise awareness. Forst gave an interview detailing questions about what systemic racism is and how it can affect higher education.

Q: What is systemic racism?

By definition, systemic racism is a form of racism that is embedded in the laws and regulations of a society or organization. It can manifest discrimination in areas such as criminal justice, employment, housing,health care, politics and education. As a professor, I value the educational component a great deal. It is important that we all understand where we are so that we have a better idea of where we’re going. Derrick Johnson is the president of the NAACP. He defines systemic racism as a normalized and legitimized range of policies, practices and attitudes that produce cumulative and chronic adverse outcomes for people of color. 

Q: What role does systemic racism play in a college setting? 

Systemic racism plays a role in college settings often. We must first understand how systemic racism affects early childhood education. The early educational years are our developmental years. These years help shape a student’s academic success or the start of their educational downfall.  Children of color are 3-6 times more likely to be suspended or expelled from a preschool program. Studies show minority students are disciplined at disproportionately higher rates. They are more likely to have resource officers and police called on them to handle disputes. This starts the school-to-prison ideology. Students living in low-income areas do not have the same adequate resources needed to score well on college admission testing. If schools and teachers fail to prepare students in their early education years, students are more likely to struggle. Students develop poor academic habits, causing an unwillingness to pursue a college degree. 

Q: What are other ways systemic racism affects society?

Housing is another huge issue when dealing with systemic racism. According to a Department of Housing and Urban Development report presented to Congress in January of 2021, African Americans only make up 13% of the U.S. population but make up nearly half of the homeless population. When you factor in redlining and housing developers who refused to build housing, you see more people of color who are either homeless or lack housing security than any other race.