When people talk about politics, they usually mean taxes, health care, maybe the border. But there’s a shadow hanging over every debate that rarely gets addressed head-on: racism. It’s not always as blunt as a slur or a burning cross. Sometimes it’s quieter, woven into laws, campaign slogans, or the way issues are framed on cable news. But make no mistake—racism in politics is alive, well, and still doing real damage.

A Problem Rooted in History

America’s story has always been tangled up with race. From the founding, with slavery written into the Constitution, to Jim Crow, to the Civil Rights Movement, race has shaped political choices and divided the country. Some politicians built their entire careers by stoking fear of the “other.” They ran on law and order, “states’ rights,” or coded language about “real Americans.” The specifics change, but the strategy doesn’t: when you can’t win people over with ideas, you try to unite them against a common enemy.

How Racism Shows Up Today

It’s tempting to think that we’ve moved past all that. But look closer. Gerrymandering still carves up minority communities to dilute their votes. Voter ID laws and polling place closures mysteriously target Black and Latino neighborhoods. Even the way we talk about crime, education, or welfare is often loaded with racial undertones.

Campaign ads flash mugshots of Black men to scare suburban voters. Immigrants are painted as threats to “our” way of life. The result? People are divided, suspicious of each other, and less likely to trust the government—or each other.

The Real Harm: Division and Distrust

Racism in politics isn’t just ugly to watch. It tears at the fabric of democracy. When people feel like the system is rigged against them, they stop believing their vote matters. When politicians scapegoat minorities, it gives everyday people permission to do the same in their neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. The country gets angrier, more cynical, and less willing to compromise.

Policies shaped by racism don’t just hurt minorities—they hurt everyone. Underfunded schools, mass incarceration, and health disparities make the whole country weaker. And when politicians spend more time fighting each other than solving real problems, nothing gets done. Gridlock becomes the norm.

Why It Keeps Happening

Why do politicians keep reaching for the race card? Because it works. Fear is a powerful motivator, and it’s easier to win votes by dividing people than by bringing them together. As long as elections are close, there’s always an incentive to use whatever will get you a few more votes—even if it leaves the country more fractured.

What We Can Do

This isn’t a problem with a quick fix. But it starts with calling things what they are. When politicians use coded language, point it out. When laws seem to target certain groups, ask why. Support candidates who talk about unity, not division. Vote in every election, especially the local ones where policies are set.

Most of all, remember that democracy only works if we believe in each other. Racism in politics isn’t just a Black problem, or a Latino problem, or an immigrant problem—it’s an American problem. And the only way to fix it is together.

Racism has always haunted American politics. But it doesn’t have to define our future. The country’s gotten better before, and it can again—if enough people care to make it happen.

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