Structural Racism and Black-White Disparities in the United States

This dissertation tests structural racism as an explanation of Black-White disparities in the United States. First, I address fundamental questions about the nature of structural racism, and how scientific inquiries into structural racism can be conducted. Then I present three empirical chapters that serve as unique case studies of structural racism and its potential contributions to Black-White disparities in the United States. The first chapter considers the case of historical redlining in Nashville, Tennessee. I find that Black residents experience the greatest exposures to pollution and violence and report the worst health, especially if their neighborhoods were formerly redlined, while Whites experience the least pollution and violence and report the best health, regardless of whether their neighborhoods were formerly redlined. The second chapter considers the case of life course stratification. I find that when compared to their White counterparts, Blacks experience persistent and interlocking disadvantages in health and residential mobility across the life course, regardless of their socioeconomic origins or adult attainments. The third chapter considers the case of predatory lending during the Great Recession (a.k.a., “reverse redlining”). I find that Blacks report greater Recession-related stress and hardships than Whites, regardless of their socioeconomic attainments, which predicts worse health over a ten-year period. After presenting the three chapters, I close by discussing how my dissertation informs broader debates about structural racism as a valid explanation for Black-White disparities. I also outline several avenues for future research.