Abstract:
In parts of the United States, using the term “systemic racism” to refer to persistent discrimination against Black people has become a political flash point. To some ear...Show MoreMetadata
Abstract:
In parts of the United States, using the term “systemic racism” to refer to persistent discrimination against Black people has become a political flash point. To some ears, it sounds like an attack on the country and the local community. Several states have enacted laws that ban, or would appear to ban, discussing the concept in public schools and colleges, and even private workplaces. But racial-equity consultant Tynesia Boyea-Robinson uses the term with an engineer's precision. When she first heard the phrase, she recalled her training in quality control in the transportation unit of GE Research, in Erie, Pa. And, sure enough, a lightbulb went on in her head: The system could be reengineered. “Oh my God, we can fix this!” she thought. “I don't think everybody else sees it that way.”
Published in: IEEE Spectrum ( Volume: 60, Issue: 2, February 2023)