Prior to beginning this course, I thought I was pretty well informed about the history of racism. Apparently, I was not. I think that there are so many deep-seated traditions that are founded in racism, that as a white American, you don't even notice them. Some of the statistics regarding housing, income, pollution, and employment are staggering.
Of particular note, while I knew the indigenous people were wronged by European settlers and their land was stolen, I did not know the depths of the policies that were designed to eventually eliminate the culture.