institutional racism

sometimes, there is no perfectly logical explanation (ple), no excuses at all.
it was wonderful to sit in a training and have the trainer, a white man, say that institutional racism is the primary factor in the disparately high numbers of children of color in the foster system. i was astonished. it was refreshing to hear such honesty. he didn't want to beat around the bush or have us believe that there was some other "logical" explanation. when we play off stereotypes, believe that a person's worth is less than another because of their race, and act according to our belief in that person's lower worth, then we have racism on individual level. when our beliefs shape our systems--schools, policies, laws, social services, then that initial active use of racial stereotypes is institutional racism.
i think he is right. institutionalized racism has engrained in us that when children of color are in the foster system that somehow that is acceptable. or more acceptable than white children. how does this belief continue so rapidly for so long? the thought that some children deserve to be in the foster system (while others do not deserve to) is the ple that must stop.

i wish there were more moments like today's training.
kudos to you, trainer. thank you for keeping it real.