This session will present a coherent framework for understanding structural racism using the Life Course Framework as a foundation.  It will describe what makes racism "structural" and the core mechanisms by which structural racism leads to unfair disparities in life outcomes within and across generations. It will also explain how “place” became the linchpin of structural racism through the deliberate construction of racially segregated neighborhoods by policymakers and private actors.  Lastly, it will offer a case study from Los Angeles county that illustrates how structural racism produces stark disparities in life outcomes along racial lines.