Systemic Racism Overview
Racial History in the US
Racial Disparities Today
Key Figures in Civil Rights
Terms You Should Know
100

This term describes laws and policies that intentionally or unintentionally disadvantage certain racial groups.

What is systematic racism?

100

The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by this U.S. president in 1863 to free enslaved African Americans.

Who is Abraham Lincoln?

100

Black Americans are more likely to face this in the criminal justice system than white Americans. 

What is over-policing?

100

This activist, famous for this “I Have a Dream” speech, was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. 

Who is Martin Luther King Jr?

100

This term refers to the unfair treatment of people based on their race, leading to disadvantage in education, jobs, or legal matters.

What is racism?

200

This practice, once widespread in the U.S., involved separating people based on race in public places.

What is segregation?

200

This amendment, passed in 1865, abolished slavery in the U.S.

What is the 13th amendment. 

200
This is the term used when people of color receive lower pay for the same work as white employees.

What is wage inequality?

200

This woman fought for the rights of Native Americans and was a key figure in the American Indian Movement. 

Who is Wilma Mankiller?

200

The term for policies that aim to correct the affects of past racial injustices by providing opportunities to underrepresented groups.

What is affirmative action?

300

This legal case in 1954 declared “separate but equal” public schools to be unconstitutional.

What is Brown v. Board of Education?

300

This act, passed in 1965, banned racial discrimination in voting practices.

What is the Voting Rights Act?

300

Studies show this racial group faces disproportionally high levels of unemployment in the U.S.

Who are Black Americans?

300

This Mexican American civil rights leader co-founded the United Farm Workers union in the 1960s. 

Who is Cesar Chavez?

300

This term describes the ongoing pattern where poverty perpetuates itself through generations due to factors like lack of education, limited access to resources, and economic instability.

What is the poverty cycle?
400

This term refers to the idea that racism is embedded in institutions like schools, government, and the criminal justice system.

What is institutional racism?

400

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s sought to end racial discrimination, with leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and this woman, known for her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Who is Rosa Parks?


400

Native American communities often race lack of access to this, even on their own lands.

What is healthcare?

400

This African American woman is known for her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and later became an important advocate for civil rights.

Who is Rosa Parks?


400

This term describes the practice of putting white people at the top of the social hierarchy and people of color at the bottom.

What is white supremacy?

500

This is a process by which a group of people is systematically denied access to certain resources or opportunities based on race.

What is racial discrimination?

500

This 1920 law, part of the Great Migration, allowed Black Americans to vote.

What is the 19th Amendment?


500

Hispanic Americans are more likely to experience this kind of discrimination in the workplace, often based on their accent or language. 

What is linguistic discrimination?
500

This Native American activist helped lead protests that resulted in the occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969.

Who is Richard Oakes?

500

This term refers to the societal benefits and privileges that come with being white in a racially stratified society.

What is white privilege?