Institutional Racism

Social work as a profession aims to address the impact of social problems on the lives of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. To achieve this, the members of the profession, the organizations through which they work, and the schools of social work must have the knowledge base, theories, and values to understand relevant social issues, especially for the purpose of creating positive change.

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to address one key and significant social issue, institutional (also known as structural) racism. Throughout this document these terms will be used interchangeably. This document will provide definitions of institutional/structural racism, clarify how it is relevant to the social work profession, and detail how it is manifested in the social systems within which social workers engage. Most importantly, this document will offer a vision for how the social work profession can address structural racism, in terms of both limiting its negative