The Hatred in Disguise

 

George Floyd protest against an unjust system

For the past few years images, like the one above, have spread across the world in hopes to create awareness for what is really going on in America. Discrimination have created barriers dividing races based on prejudice and the beliefs of what America was before. A question that still roams around till this day is--when will it end? 

Throughout America's making, people of coloring have been battling to erase the racism that exists throughout America. From the Civil Rights Movement to Black Live Matter protest, the battle has not been easy. Have you ever experienced racism or discrimination? If you did how did it make you feel? For people of color, at some point in their life this is something they WILL experience. From a dirty look from prejudgments people have or having to act a certain way around a certain group of people--for people of color this is an everyday norm.

"It's because he's black" 

"They are equal" 

"White Lives Matter also" 

These are just few statements that have been made across America to downgrade the emotions of black activists on their journey to eliminate the main point they are trying to get across. 

Within the Community 

Discrimination within jobs and school do exist. A lot of the time it goes unreported by upper heads in fear of how the community and the world would react. Gary Floyd Jr. worked at a high school in Kansas as a coach and para-educator and experienced on multiple occasions racial slurs and misconduct. Working as the only black employee, he says he was fired from his job for reporting the behavior to the school. This situation should outrage people. If a person cannot feel safe within a "safe space", where can a person of color feel safe. On multiple occasions he reported the misconduct and mistreatment, and no response was  made by the school to eliminate the problem. 

The awareness of people within a community to identify these types of issues needs to be improved. If we fail as a society, people of color will suffer. For a lot these issues don’t disrupt their everyday route, so they don’t bother to focus on the issue at hand. For others their life, values and ideas are challenged. Being in a situation where you are judged based on the color of your skin is one I hope a person never have to experience.

When I was in high school, I did not have the opportunity to fulfill that reward. For me that day changed my view of I looked at elevators. As a young black man, I was taught the do’s and don'ts to be successful in life. For some people they never have to worry about what they say or how they act around a certain group, for me it’s overthinking every decision and making for people comfortably comes first. I usually don’t overthink my actions but at certain times I feel like I need to. 

“If I live my everyday in fear will I ever live?” 

This was something I asked myself everyday after the situation to justify my non-reaction to what happened. I know everybody isn’t racist or have beliefs that African-Americans are dangerous, poor and looking for a hand out. But for the ones that are, they take away the progress that have been made throughout the years in hopes to making everyone feel equal. We will always have progression but we need to make sure the progression we make will hold strong forever. 

The reality of what has been going on within our communities have been coming into the light with more people becoming comfortable with speaking out. A flash back to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have A Dream” speech the aspiration to see people for who they are and not the color of their skin is a goal that still needs work.

Other Forms of Protest 

In our lifetime we have experienced many forms of protests. From sit-ins, boycotts, marches and even civil disobedience. One form that is the most interesting one is a children's book. Written in 2018 the Kirkus review created a children book about the discrimination within color to demonstrate the  the issues that people of color are facing today. 

This is interesting because through the story they created, the colors at first envied each other because they were not the same. This can be related to the progression of America. Throughout our history African-Americans were looked down on because their skin was different from the rest. With people who were white spreading false information of who they are and how they should be treated. 

Till this day those rumors hunt people of color and like the colors in the story, makes it very hard for people to see people  of color for who they are and connect. Near the end of the story the different find peace within their own color. Learning to embrace the other colors for their uniqueness, and mix with each other to create new colors. This is something I hope for humanity in the future. YES! we all have our differences and that is what makes us human. But in the future I hope we can come together to find a common ground and respect each other for us not the color of our skin. 

It has been a ugly battle and with no end in sight to this war it can only get more troubling. Like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed..". And that I do. With a lot of hope, I know us as Americans can one day end the war to racism and stand together. With sacrifice comes happiness and happiness is the American dream. 

Joyner Lucas - I'm Not Racist Music Video (ending scene two men coming together to embrace  their differences and accept each other for them, not judge based on the color of their skin)