The days of Jim Crow racism are gone. But racism still exists, often in our private unconscious, according to researchers and activists. More encompassing and damaging, however, is when unconscious bias makes its way into public policy, say racial justice activists.
Police stop minority motorists more often than they do whites.
Schools favor white students for college prep classes. City councils allow polluting industries and an overabundance of alcohol outlets to locate in low-income neighbourhoods. It's the way racism is institutionalised. Over the last few years, activists have shifted from dealing with overt racism to uncovering implicit racism. To prove their accusations, they have had to become proficient in research in public health, public financing, epidemiology, data analysis, and computerised geographic information systems.