When systems that people made discriminate against people because of their race, we call that structural racism. Structural racism is built into our systems — that means systems that are built racist, stay racist. While laws change, structural racism still exists in new and old ways. But when racism is hidden, it’s hard to prove it’s happening. That’s why it’s so important to talk about and actively work against structural racism. “What is Structural Racism?” explains how structural racism exists in the US today and the ongoing work to get rid of it.

This toolkit answers questions like:

What is race?

What is a social construct?

What is “racism” versus “structural racism”?

What are some ways we see structural racism in the U.S. today?

And more.

“What is Structural Racism?” is available in two versions:

Our Easy Read edition. The Easy Read version uses pictures along with large text, and has more white space. Click here to download the Easy Read version of “What is Structural Racism?” [[link removed]]

A Plain Language version without accompanying graphics. Click here to download the Plain Language version of “What is Structural Racism?” [[link removed]]

There is also a video version of “What is Structural Racism?” available here. [[link removed]]

We hope you’ll use these resources in your advocacy, and share them widely. It’s important to keep learning about structural racism and what we can do to actively work against it!


Autistic Self Advocacy Network
PO Box 66122
Washington, DC 20035
United States
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