Contemporary American racism no longer operates through explicit or legal means.

Evidence

Arguably, overt racial bias has receded in modern times. However, the effect of racial bias can operate more subtly to place unequal burdens on minority and majority cultures. Overt bias has been replaced by a more subtle form of racism that we refer to as implicit bias. White people of good will may eschew racism, but nonetheless harbor implicit prejudices that affect the legal system in all of its multifaceted aspects. — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 21 (#expands, via linked claim)

MR. The Modern Racism Scale (MR Scale; McConahay, 1986) contains seven items that assess a form of racism that is indirect and not overtly bigoted (e.g., “Blacks are getting too demanding in their push for equal rights”; 1 strongly agree, 5 strongly disagree; .82). — Sherman A. Lee, Chelsea A. Reid, Stephen D. Short, Jeffrey A. Gibbons, Ruth Yeh, and Matthew L. Campbell, Fear of Muslims, 47 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Old-fashioned racism is no longer an effective political force in America; Overt racism faded but reemerged as subtler symbolic and modern racisms.; Earlier American racism was explicit, intentional, and legally codified. (+16 more)

Broader Connections

• Contemporary racism often operates indirectly rather than through overt bigotry. #expands (0.95) — Sherman A. Lee, Chelsea A. Reid, Stephen D. Short, Jeffrey A. Gibbons, Ruth Yeh, and Matthew L. Campbell, Fear of Muslims, 47
• Overt racism has been replaced by subtle implicit bias #expands (0.95) — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 21
• Racism persists but has shifted from blatant to unconscious subtle forms #expands (0.93) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 143
• Old-fashioned racism declined but prejudice mutated into subtler forms #expands (0.93)
• Racism persists covertly after formal prohibitions end #expands (0.92) — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 1506
• Racism is integral to American law, not an aberration #complicates (0.85)
• The very accusation of racism has become a breach of civility #complicates (0.75)
• US racial history moved through abrupt regime shifts toward formal legal equality #complicates (0.74) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3593