Editorial Board

It is a subtle shift — one that has likely gone unnoticed by most people in our community.

But anyone who has been involved with anti-racism efforts in Rochester, which took on a renewed urgency beginning in 2013, knows that a change has occurred. And, it is extraordinarily important and positive.

In offices, conference rooms, banquet halls and schools, conversations about racism are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Instead of focusing on personal racism, these discussions are going deeper and deeper into an even more pernicious form of this societal ill.

It is called structural racism.

Structural racism is an invisible thread woven tightly, over decades, into the fabric of our society. It takes on many, many forms, all of which serve to perpetually inhibit people of color from becoming equal to white people.

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At the YWCA's annual Stand Against Racism breakfast on Friday, the first question centered on this issue. The esteemed panelists were asked to give an example of structural racism in their profession.

Nazareth College President Daan Braveman told a story about a brilliant, community-minded, African American student, whom he ran into on campus one day. The kind who could likely become a good attorney. He asked about her plans to attend law school after graduation, and she expressed fear over taking the LSAT, a standardized test required for admission to most of the nation's law schools.

He suggested she could probably achieve a higher score if she enrolled in a LSAT prep class. She told him she could not afford the fee.

Scientific studies have shown that standardized tests, Braveman pointed out, are almost never indicative of a student's future performance in college or postgraduate institutions. They are, however, a very accurate indicator of wealth and — in America — wealth is overwhelmingly white.

By no longer requiring SAT scores for admission, Braveman said, Nazareth has seen a notable and healthy increase in diversity on campus.

In another recent conversation over at RIT's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, a group of mostly white, senior citizens were talking about structural racism, too. Some were eager for a list of concrete examples, and willing to learn more.

At the United Way, all of the organization's employees gathered together to spend nearly two hours talking about structural racism and how to recognize it. The head of Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School and a member of Unite Rochester, Rev. Marvin McMickle, led the discussion, noting he is no longer overly concerned about personal racism — the "I don't like you because of your skin color" kind.

"But I will commit my life to dismantling structural racism," he vowed.

On Saturday, Facing Race and Embracing Equity held its annual summit on race. Engaged citizens and community activists attended at-capacity workshops including a panel discussion on the impact of structural racism on families.

This growing interest in understanding structural racism, which is far from an easy concept to grasp, is an indicator that Rochester is getting a tiny step closer to closing its significant racial divide. There is still an inordinate amount of work to do, but progress is being made.

Editor's Note: Don't forget to vote for Unite Rochester: Safe Sober Site, every day from now through May 12. Find out more at DemocratandChronicle.com/VOTE