Injustice does not appear overnight; it grows through deliberate choices and deeply entrenched systems. Its roots are visible throughout history, weaving through some of humanity’s darkest chapters, including the transatlantic slave trade. Over 400 years, more than 15 million men, women, and children were forcibly taken from their homes, stripped of their identities, and subjected to unimaginable suffering. This legacy of dehumanization planted the seeds of inequality that continue to shape modern society. By examining these patterns—then and now—we can begin to understand how injustice takes hold, thrives, and perpetuates itself across generations.
To understand this process, let us walk through its unfolding, layer by layer, using real-world examples and insights from society today, with reflections from the social anthropology classic, Deep South: A Social Anthropological Study of Caste and Class.
Step One: Drawing the Line Between “Us” and “Them”
Injustice begins with division. Someone, somewhere, decides who belongs and who doesn’t. This line might be drawn by race, class, gender, religion, or even the neighborhood you’re born into.
Take, for instance, the caste system explored in Deep South. The book examines how entrenched social hierarchies define people not by who they are but by where society believes they belong. Replace caste with race in modern America, and the echoes are haunting. From segregated neighborhoods to the racial wealth gap, the idea of “us” versus “them” persists.
Consider how housing discrimination in the 20th century—through redlining—created predominantly Black neighborhoods that were deliberately underfunded. Schools deteriorated, opportunities dwindled, and families were trapped in cycles of poverty. The line between “us” and “them” wasn’t just drawn—it was chiseled into the foundations of these communities.
Step Two: Institutionalizing the Divide
Divisions solidify when they become law or policy. Injustice is no longer a matter of individual prejudice; it’s baked into systems meant to serve everyone.
The criminal justice system in the U.S. is a striking example. In Deep South, the authors explore how laws historically kept certain groups “in their place,” reinforcing class and racial hierarchies. Fast-forward to today, and you see the same dynamics in mass incarceration. Despite making up just 13% of the U.S. population, Black Americans account for nearly 40% of the incarcerated. Why? Because policies like mandatory minimum sentencing and the war on drugs disproportionately targeted communities of color.
The injustice isn’t just in the arrests; it’s in the ripple effects—lost income, fractured families, and entire generations stigmatized.
Step Three: Normalizing the Unjust
Once the divide is institutionalized, society begins to accept it as “just the way things are.” In Deep South, the authors detail how cultural norms and rituals reinforced the power of the dominant class. Poor Black sharecroppers and working-class whites internalized their oppression, seeing it as inevitable rather than constructed.
This normalization is alive today in the wage gap. Women—especially women of color—earn less than their male counterparts for the same work. Despite decades of data, many dismiss this as a personal failure: Women don’t negotiate enough. They choose lower-paying fields. The real culprits—bias and structural inequities—fade into the background, and the system continues unchanged.
Step Four: Silencing Dissent
When people start to resist, the system pushes back. In Deep South, the authors describe how those who dared to challenge the status quo were often ostracized or punished. The same is true today.
Think of whistleblowers in the workplace, who expose corruption or discrimination only to face retaliation. Or activists who march for climate justice, only to be met with accusations of being “disruptive” or “radical.” The message is clear: stay quiet, or pay the price.
Step Five: Perpetuating the Cycle
Finally, injustice feeds on itself. Poor education leads to low-paying jobs. Low-paying jobs lead to limited healthcare. Limited healthcare leads to poor outcomes—and the cycle continues.
In Deep South, the authors highlight how lack of resources trapped sharecropping families in poverty, generation after generation. Today, we see similar cycles in urban food deserts, where predominantly Black and Brown communities lack access to fresh, affordable food. Poor nutrition leads to health problems, which lead to medical debt, which perpetuates economic inequality.
How to break the injustice pattern
But here’s the truth: injustice isn’t inevitable. The roots may be deep, but they are not indestructible. Change begins when we refuse to accept the lines drawn for us. When we challenge policies and systems that perpetuate inequality.
It happens when we listen to the stories of those most affected. When we use our voices to amplify theirs. And when we recognize that dismantling injustice is not a one-time act but a constant, collective effort.
This is how injustice thrives. But it’s also how it ends—with each of us taking a step, no matter how small, toward uprooting it.
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