Racism in the Age of Obama

The aim of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s was to pressure Congress into enacting equal rights legislation that would eliminate institutional racism in this country. But what exactly is institutional racism?

In practice, "institutional" racism is created by public (or organizational) policies that intentionally favor, empower, or enrich one particular racial group (or groups)---to the exclusion of other racial groups---or is demonstrated by public (or organizational) policies that intentionally discriminate against a specific racial group.

Institutionalized racism can also be disguised in "public" spending programs that effectively only impact or favor one particular racial group---rather than the "aggregate" population.

If you scrutinize who disparately benefits from Team Obama's "social" spending programs---and who will be enriched from his various "diversity" programs---Obama's public policy agenda often appears to represent a new age of institutional racism.

But the Obama Administration is not alone in advancing institutionalized racism. Racial discrimination is inherent in any "affirmative action" policy that gives preferential treatment to a racial group over the personal achievements of an individual---regardless of his/her race.

Whenever any public governing organization "discriminates" against individuals---based on their racial group---that governing body's action also amounts to institutionalized racism.