‘Systemic racism’: Does it even exist? Troy Williams Systemic racism has become the operative phrase in a lot of political circles these days. Systemic racism, also called “institutional” racism, was coined and first used by Stokely Carmichael in 1967. Since high school, Carmichael was a fiery young civil rights activist and was one of the original Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Freedom Riders. Most notably, Carmichael originated the Black nationalism rallying slogan, “Black Power.” He graduated from Howard University in 1964 with a degree in philosophy and was the youngest person imprisoned for his participation as a Freedom Rider. Carmichael later became frustrated with the Civil Rights Movement, particularly Dr. Martin Luther King’s nonviolent philosophy. He changed his name to Kwame Ture, became active in the African liberation movement, and urged people worldwide to fight against white imperialism. I savor in the irony that America is presently enmeshed in such a controversy over one of his original concepts, systemic racism.