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Structural and systemic racism are often invisible—at least to those who are not its victims. This article defines structural and systemic racism, explains how they damage health, and provides illustrative examples. Although we focus on how structural and systemic racism can harm the health of people of color, they also may damage the health and well-being of a society overall1,2—including the health and well-being of White people.
Systemic racism affects people of color by making it more difficult to participate in and succeed within our social systems as compared to a white person.