Third, all baptized Catholics have a moral obligation to work toward the elimination of racism. Racism is a personal sin and social disorder rooted in the belief that one race is superior to another. It involves not only prejudice but also the use of religious, social, political, economic or historical power to keep one race privileged. This document focuses on racism against African Americans, because the centuries old Black-White dynamic in this country seems to bear deeper dimensions of prejudice than any other form of racism. Addressing the complexity of the Black-White division, however, will help us address all forms of ethnic and racial injustice, no matter where or how it manifests itself.
Racism is personal, institutional, cultural and internal.
Personal racism shows itself in an attitude or action taken by an individual to diminish the God-given dignity or rights of another because of race. An example of personal racism in action is the verbal or mental demeaning of African Americans simply because of their color. Institutional racism allows racist attitudes or practices to shape the structures of an organization. Institutional racism reveals itself, for example, when promotions are manipulated so that African Americans are not fairly considered for certain positions. Cultural racism is the extension of this sinful attitude to the mores, standards, customs, language and group life of a whole society.