For a long time, I have always believed that people should be aware that racism still exists today in society. Ever since I was younger, I’ve realized that racism still is very prevalent. Although it wasn’t bad as it was decades ago, it still exists and still affects minorities of all ages worldwide. I myself have had multiple encounters within my lifetime. Considering I’m only 13, this is a big thing for me. I’ve experienced it ranging from a few years ago, to a few days ago in places such as online, in public, and even in school.
From the moment I was a young child, up until now, my mother would always say; “Ariana, you have to work hard in life.” I always questioned why, wondering why it was such a big deal. I took it upon myself to do some research as I got older, and I learned that in reality, I would have to work twice as hard as my white peers to get the same treatment, respect, and earnings as them in society. I felt slightly infuriated with the situation, feeling that it was wrong, but knowing there was nothing I could do. I soon came to find that for every dollar a white man makes, a black woman (my future self), would make roughly $0.75 cents. While growing up and interacting with more people in my life, I realized some people would treat me differently because of the color of my skin. I always knew it was wrong, but I felt as if I couldn’t speak against it because I was so young. I thought it was wrong to have a voice of my own. Once while I was in class, I had gotten into an argument with a young, white boy. He had gotten really worked up and angry, and began venting to his friends. While ranting and snickering, I overheard him refer to me as a “nigger with nappy hair.” I was appalled and angry that he would even refer to me as such, and that he said the word without any remorse. I teared up as his friends burst into laughter, taking the word as a lighthearted joke. Being one of the only black children in the classroom, I figured there wasn’t much I could do anyway. Sometimes while in school, I’ll notice that most people don’t set very high standards for me. Attending a primarily caucasian school, and being a black student has shown me that I’ll typically be thrown into a boat of generalizations and common stereotypes about my race. In order to surpass those limitations, I will almost always have to prove myself to be more “superior” than my peers, which will have negative effects on my reputation most of the time. I was upset and frustrated that I would even be grouped into a category of “dumb, ghetto black children” just because of the color of my skin. I thought that I shouldn’t feel the need to break the stereotypes of uneducated people who view us all as the same. In conclusion, I wish more people understood that racism does still exist in 2017, and it’s still an issue. Although more privileged and more fortunate people may not experience it, it’s still a problem that affects many minorities worldwide on a regular basis. Things will not fully be equal until we all receive the same treatment and respect as those who are currently more privileged in society.
0 Comments
|
AuthorWelcome to my blog! This website will feature a series of my current life events, my whereabouts, and my emotions. Stay tuned for more updates, as I will try to update every once in a while. ArchivesCategories |