Which of the following is an example of systemic racism?

Systemic racism refers to the policies and practices that are entrenched in established institutions, which result in the marginalization and unequal treatment of individuals based on race. These systemic elements create and perpetuate inequalities across various societal structures, such as education, healthcare, criminal justice, and employment.

The correct answer highlights how institutional policies can cause disparities in treatment and access based on racial backgrounds. For example, if a school district implements disciplinary policies that disproportionately affect students of color, this is a manifestation of systemic racism. It underscores how specific institutional practices and rules can lead to different outcomes for different racial groups, regardless of the intentions behind them.

In contrast, individual acts of discrimination represent personal biases and interactions that do not reflect the broader systemic mechanisms at play. Public protests and community initiatives, while important for raising awareness and addressing issues of racial inequality, are responses to systemic racism rather than examples of it. The focus on institutional policies in the correct answer illustrates the core concept of systemic racism, which encompasses broader societal structures rather than isolated incidents or efforts to combat those structures.