OUR
STORY
As a part of my Civics Capstone Project, our prompt was to pick a project we were deeply interested in and wanted to change in our city/state. Being a person of color (POC) in Texas, I had previously heard of institutional racism in the United States, and how this affected many individuals like me seeking job and/or school opportunities due to negative connotations associated with skin color. Because of this, I decided to dedicated my time to influencing a change by spreading awareness about systemic and institutional racism in Texas. My goal is to inspire others to do the same in their communities, so anyone- no matter what their race, gender identity, or sexual orientation- can have the same opportunities.
AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE PRISON SYSTEM
In Texas, African Americans are imprisoned five times as much as their white counterparts, which means that over 40% make up the prison system. Additionally, black Texans constitute 50% of state prisons due to alleged drug offenses, even though they make up less than 10% of these offenders.
THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE MANY EXAMPLES OF INSTITUTIONAL RACISM IN TEXAS. SCROLL DOWN TO SEE HOW YOU CAN HELP CHANGE THIS.
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?
After briefly educating yourself on some of the prejudices people of color face in Texas, a result of institutional racism, you're probably thinking, "What can I do to help?" Here are just some of the ways you can contribute your time, money, and/or voice to influence a change in your community.