Effect Of Systemic Racism In The Nickel Boys

Have you ever heard of Jim Crow laws? They were laws issued by state governments that were used to limit the rights of black citizens. They are a prime example of systemic racism, where the laws of society are used to discriminate against racial minorities. Systemic racism is often used to prevent victims from improving their lives by restricting their rights, opportunities and livelihoods. In The Nickel Boys, Colson Whitehead uses Elwood, Turner and other Nickel Boys to demonstrate that the most significant effect of systemic racism is how it prevents people from being able to improve their lives.

Nickel employees ignore Elwood’s request for higher level learning, which prevents Elwood from being able to educate himself. When Elwood went

As Elwood enters the bathroom, he sees a boy named Corey being pushed up against a wall by two bullies, Lonnie and Black Mike. His morals cause him to intervene resulting in him getting punched by Black Mike. A houseman intervenes, but instead of asking what happened, he instead reports them all and they are all punished. The text says, “Interpreting the scene was not part of his job. Who was at fault, who started it, why. His job was to keep these colored boys in check…”(65) revealing that the Nickel system did not care for justice, they simply wanted to suppress the “black boys”. When Elwood is punished, it causes drastic changes to his character seen when Elwood reflects, “He kept his head down and was rewarded. Just like they wanted.”(158) This shows that in the end Elwood was forced to keep his head down to avoid trouble by the trauma caused by his punishment. This shows that even though Elwood made the right decision, he is punished unjustly which changes his character into becoming more

The point made by Colson Whitehead is still important in our lives. A great example is police brutality. Police brutality is unlawful actions committed by police like beatings, abuse and even unlawful killings. These killings are usually unjust and can be racially motivated. Studies show that police are being 3.5 times as likely to kill a black person than a white person. This shows how police will often make assumptions based on a person’s skin color and can abuse, incriminate or even kill other people, leaving them in a position with no future for their lives or no life at all. It is important to try to eliminate police brutality, especially if it is racially motivated. You can help support the cause by spreading awareness about police brutality, going to protests, and making sure that this who commit police brutality are brought to