Understanding Racialized Systemic Harm

Structural Racial Expulsion in Minnesota (SREM) and the Inverted Justice Doctrine (IJD): Introducing New Frameworks for Understanding Racialized Systemic Harm

By North Star Editorial and Coalition Against the Minnesota Paradox

Published on: April 27, 2025

Abstract

This paper introduces two new conceptual frameworks — Structural Racial Expulsion in Minnesota (SREM) and the Inverted Justice Doctrine (IJD) — to describe and analyze the systemic processes through which Black Minnesotans are marginalized, excluded, and denied equitable access to justice. These frameworks address critical gaps in existing scholarly and public discourse by naming and theorizing the racialized dynamics that continue to shape institutional behavior in Minnesota.

Term	Definition	Function
SREM (Structural Racial Expulsion in Minnesota)	The overall system of racialized marginalization and exclusion across institutions in Minnesota.	Describes the total environment of structural racial oppression.
IJD (Inverted Justice Doctrine)	A core operational method within SREM that shifts justice systems from protecting victims to discrediting and expelling them.	A doctrine or tactic used within SREM to maintain racial control and institutional legitimacy.

Structural Racial Expulsion in Minnesota (SREM)

Structural Racial Expulsion in Minnesota (SREM) refers to a systemic pattern of racialized marginalization manifested across legal, educational, housing, healthcare, and employment sectors in the state of Minnesota. Under SREM, Black individuals and communities are systematically displaced, disenfranchised, and rendered vulnerable through ostensibly neutral policies and procedures. These processes often operate through mechanisms of plausible deniability, shielding institutions from accusations of explicit racial bias while perpetuating structural harms. SREM frames Minnesota’s racial disparities not as incidental outcomes, but as predictable results of systemic designs.

The Inverted Justice Doctrine (IJD)

Inverted Justice Doctrine (IJD) describes an operational method within SREM whereby justice systems invert their proper functions. Rather than investigating reported harms impartially, institutions scrutinize, discredit, and shift suspicion onto Black victims. Victims seeking justice are treated as suspects or liabilities, while accused perpetrators, and institutional actors themselves, benefit from presumptions of legitimacy. The IJD enables racialized control under the guise of due process, preserving existing hierarchies and allowing institutions to maintain the appearance of fairness while actively undermining it.

Significance and Future Research

The introduction of SREM and the IJD provides scholars, policymakers, and advocates with critical language and conceptual tools to better diagnose and challenge systemic racial injustices in Minnesota and beyond. Further empirical research is encouraged to document how these frameworks manifest across specific institutions and historical periods, and to develop strategies for systemic redress and reform.

Author’s Note

Both Structural Racial Expulsion in Minnesota (SREM) and Inverted Justice Doctrine (IJD) are original conceptual frameworks introduced by North Star Editorial and Coalition Against the Minnesota Paradox (CAMP) in 2025. These terms are offered for public scholarship, academic study, and advocacy work addressing systemic racial injustice.

Introducing New Frameworks for...