Systemic racism has long shaped the lives of individuals in marginalized communities, creating cycles of poverty, inequality, and despair. It is a form of racism that goes beyond individual prejudice, embedding itself in the policies, laws, and structures of society.
This insidious system perpetuates disparities in housing, education, healthcare, and justice, making it harder for affected communities to break free from its grasp.
Valentine Harris’s The Black Godmother sheds light on these issues, drawing attention to how systemic racism impacts real lives and reinforces cycles of oppression.
Understanding Systemic Racism
Systemic racism refers to the way institutions and policies disproportionately disadvantage certain racial groups. Unlike overt acts of individual racism, systemic racism operates subtly, often hidden within the frameworks of society.
Examples include discriminatory lending practices, unequal access to quality education, and biased policing strategies. For example, redlining—a practice where banks denied loans to people living in predominantly Black neighborhoods—restricted generations of Black families from owning homes or building wealth.
Similarly, schools in marginalized areas often lack resources, leaving students with fewer opportunities to succeed. These disparities are not accidental; they result from systems designed to maintain racial hierarchies.
The Connection to The Black Godmother
In The Black Godmother, Valentine Harris portrays Naomi Davis’s life as deeply influenced by systemic racism. Growing up in an environment shaped by poverty and violence, Naomi’s choices are limited by the systemic neglect of her community. The novel highlights how systemic issues, such as the crack epidemic and harsh sentencing laws, disproportionately targeted Black communities, creating cycles of crime and incarceration.
The crack epidemic of the 1980s serves as a pivotal example of systemic racism. While crack cocaine and powder cocaine are chemically similar, the legal system imposed far harsher penalties for possession of crack—a drug more prevalent in Black communities.
This disparity devastated neighborhoods, as many individuals were incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses, often leaving families and children without support. Harris’s narrative captures the human cost of these policies, showing how they trap individuals like Naomi in a cycle of survival-driven choices.
Real-Life Parallels and Statistics
The realities depicted in The Black Godmother mirror real-life statistics. According to the NAACP, Black Americans are incarcerated at more than five times the rate of White Americans, often due to policies that disproportionately criminalize Black communities.
For example, the war on drugs, which intensified in the 1980s, led to a sharp increase in arrests for drug-related offenses, with Black individuals bearing the brunt of these arrests.
Housing discrimination also plays a significant role in perpetuating systemic racism. Research shows that Black families are more likely to live in neighborhoods with higher poverty rates and fewer resources, even when controlling for income levels. This lack of access to quality housing and schools creates barriers to upward mobility, forcing many families to remain in cycles of poverty.
Healthcare disparities further highlight the impact of systemic racism. Black communities often face higher rates of chronic illnesses, limited access to healthcare, and lower life expectancies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these disparities became starkly evident, as Black Americans experienced higher infection and mortality rates due to systemic inequities in healthcare access.
Breaking the Cycle
Addressing systemic racism requires both awareness and action. Policies must be reexamined to ensure they do not disproportionately harm marginalized communities. For example, reforming sentencing laws, investing in underfunded schools, and ensuring equitable access to housing can help dismantle some of the systems that perpetuate inequality.
Harris’s The Black Godmother calls on readers to reflect on these systemic issues and their impact on individuals like Naomi. Through Naomi’s story, the novel challenges us to consider how society can create pathways for opportunity rather than barriers to success.
By humanizing the consequences of systemic racism, Harris underscores the urgency of addressing these issues to build a more equitable future.
A Call to Reflect and Act
Systemic racism is not just a historical issue; it continues to shape the lives of millions today. Stories like The Black Godmother by Valentine Harris remind us of the real human cost of these inequities. Naomi Davis’s journey is a testament to resilience in the face of systemic neglect, but it also serves as a powerful critique of the structures that create such challenges.
Discover The Black Godmother by Valentine Harris to gain deeper insight into the complexities of systemic racism and its impact on marginalized communities. This thought-provoking novel invites readers to reflect, empathize, and act toward meaningful change.