Systemic racism isn’t limited to personal interactions. It’s embedded in areas like housing, education and business. Syracuse and central New York is the ninth most segregated community in the country, according to recent statistics.
CNY Fair Housing director Sally Santangelo said it goes back to the days of redlining, when loans were only available for Blacks in certain neighborhoods. That systemic racism has morphed into restrictive zoning regulations that put people of color, who statistically have lower incomes, at a disadvantage.