Amid the 2024 presidential race, one thing many Republicans have in common is that they struggle with addressing racism in the United States, a key issue that could wreak havoc on the Republican Party.
Many GOP past and present candidates for various offices have long been hesitant to acknowledge issues surrounding prejudices and discrimination against people of color based on race.
Systemic racism, also known as structural racism, is defined as the systems and structures that put certain racial or ethnic groups at a disadvantage in society, according to USA Today. Not only is it about individual discriminatory incidents, but also about the bias embedded in the systems in America.
For instance, systemic racism can affect access to quality education and resources. School districts with more Black students and other people of color often receive less funding and resources than districts with fewer students of color, according to Human Rights Careers.
Nikki Haley
Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and the remaining 2024 GOP presidential candidate challenging former President Donald Trump, has often touched on race throughout her career and on the campaign trail. But her remarks have triggered backlash during the latter, as she had to clarify offensive comments made during a town hall in New Hampshire last year.
Overall, Haley has struggled with her messaging and talking points on the subject of racism, appearing to flip-flop on the subject.
For instance, after a December town hall where she failed to mention slavery had been a cause of the Civil War, Haley later walked back those remarks. And in a recent interview on “The Breakfast Club,” a popular morning show, Haley acknowledged, after being pressed, that the killings at Charleston’s Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church were “motivated” by racism. But initially said that the national media “wanted to make it about racism.”
During the…
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