Layla 5/1/19

English Semester Project Block 1

Racism In America

It has been there since the beginning, and from the looks of it, racism isn’t going

anywhere, anytime soon. That is clear to see. But have you ever really thought about how racism

impacted people in their life? Have you ever thought about how they feel, living their lives while

being oppressed? Or what it’s really like trying to fight against racism? Do you even really know

what white privilege is? It isn’t that all white people are rich or well-off, because that isn’t true at

all. The definition of white privilege is, “ The fact of people with white skin having advantages

in society the other people do not have,” (dictionary.Cambridge.org). I want to help people

understand more, as well as help myself understand more about this topic.

I would first like to talk about America’s history with racism, where it all started: slavery,

which took place in America throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. The same time the

Europeans began colonizing America. When America started, so did it’s racism. The Europeans

saw blacks as inferior in both mind and body. They saw the Africans as uncultured and less than

human. Capturing and enslaving them allowed the Europeans to build up their new nation

without having to pay for workers or do the work themselves. Why can’t America get over

slavery? This is a question that many people ask, specifically non-black people. And the answer,

well my answer is that slavery is America’s open wound. A wound that the black population, 1/3

of the people in America has to live with for their whole lives. A topic that brings up so many
strong emotions that the other 2/3 of Americans demand that we not even talk about it. Telling

everyone who tries to talk about it to, “get over it!”. But that 1/3 of the population that does live

with it, and hope and pray that we will finally have this conversation. But so far no amount of

planing or discrimination has led to a real discussion of slavery and its aftermath. “There are two

reasons that we don’t talk about slavery: The first is it a subject that makes us have to face the

ugliness of our history,” says adjunct professor of African-American studies, Michael Simango

of Georgia State University. “It forces us to then commit to structural changes that the country

has yet gotten ready to address, change is having to do with discriminatory practices- and

unequal education system, on equal employment, on equal housing and how we teach our history

without including all Americans.” The conversation of slavery would force us to embrace a

completely different American narrative. And most people aren’t ready to let go of the old

American one. So why don’t we talk about it? Because talking about it makes it real and once

it’s real, it becomes impossible to ignore. Sometimes people take the ignoring a little too far, and

say that they are “colorblind” or that they “don’t see color”.

Color blindness is the racial ideology that poses as the best way to end discrimination is

by treating people as equally as possible, without regarding to that individuals race, culture or

ethnic city. But the colorblind approach allows people to deny uncomfortable racial and cultural

differences. Color blindness is in a sufficient enough solution. It hasn’t and won’t ever be

enough to heal racial wounds on a national or personal level. In the end, color blindness is just

another form of racism.

When using color blindness in a society, white people can effectively ignore racism in

American life and they are unlikely to experience disadvantages due to race. It would also allow
them to justify the current social order and feel more comfortable with the relatively privilege

standing in a society. Using color blindness creates a society that denies people negative racial

experiences, reject peoples cultural heritage and individual peoples unique perspectives.

As a black person, I like exactly who I am and wouldn’t want to be any other way when it

comes to the melanin in my skin, my people and my culture. I don’t want any part of that to be

racist, unseen or invisible. The need for the use of color blindness implies that there is something

to be ashamed about myself and the culture I was born into.

If you can’t talk about race, you will never be able to understand it, let alone be able to

fix the problems within our society. Colorblindness individualizes conflicts and shortcomings

when race related problems arise rather than examining the larger picture including cultural

differences, stereotypes and values placed into context.

Color blindness is a wait for white people to continually be unaware of how race affects,

“People of Color,” in America and its society while continuing to be guilt free. We as a nation

need to find an alternative, such as multiculturalism, which is an ideology that acknowledges,

highlights, and celebrate ethnoracial differences. It recognizes that each and every tradition has

something valuable to offer. If I celebrate your independence day, then why can’t you celebrate

mine? The fourth of July is a national holiday celebrating America’s independence from Great

Britain. The nineteenth of June should be one two, celebrating commemoration of the end of

slavery in the United States. Doing this would be a process of change, which is never easy, but

when it comes to this we can’t afford to stay the same. Another thing that needs to change within

our society is the way we refer to black people.

but people were called colored. Before that they were called “negro” and even before that they

were called “nigger”. In the 1980s, African-American became the common term. Now the term

people of color is primarily used to describe any person who is not white in America and

Canada. It was adopted in the late 20th century as a preferable replacement for the term

non-white. But the term pets are people who have, “color” against those who don't have , “color”

or who have, “whiteness”. “People of color” is a term that encompasses the common experience

of systematic racism.

Is the term acceptable to use in this day and age? If you want to be respectful and not

come off as a racist, then it is best that you just ask the person what they would preferred to be

called. I can’t speak for every black person in America but I can speak for myself and those who

have told me what they prefer. I, myself, prefer the term black. I hate the term colored because

when people called my race colored we were only seen as 3/5 of a person and we were not

allowed to use anything that white people used. I hate the term “nigger” because that’s when my

people were taken from their homes and brought to a whole new country to build a country for

Europeans even though they didn’t see or treat us like human beings. For me, black means power

and beauty and strength. And I hate the term African-American because why can’t I just be

American like everyone else. I’m black. And I’m also an American.

As an American who is Black, I would like to shed light on another issue we face here in

America. Who gets to say the N-word and why can’t everyone else? The N-word. I am sure that

you all know exactly what word I am talking about: “nigger”, “nigga”. However you might

pronounce it, you shouldn’t say it at all. This word is very unique in the english language. But if
you truly knew what this word meant to our ancestors, you would never use it. It started out as an

insult, a name that a slave master would call there black slave. This name caused generations of

blacks to experience torment. Though, over time, blacks have taken it and flipped it. Now, many

use it to address people, like their friends. The whole word and its evolution is very complex.

The word didn’t start as the word it is today. It started as a descriptor, “negro” meaning

black. As early as the seventeenth century, the word changer to “nigger”, which is intentionally

derogatory. And since then, it has never been able to shed it’s baggage. And not matter how

much people appropriate the word, the baggage will always be there. I mean, how could you

possibly be able to forget the torture that your ancestors went through? Considering the fact that

that we don’t even know the half of it nor could we ever imagine what they were put through.

This word though, it has stuck with us. A word that white people indoctrinated blacks into

accepting their supposed inferiority. In a narrative written by Jim Allen, he dubbed himself his

masters, “pet nigger boy.” He thought of himself as privileged because of the fact that he could

sleep on the floor beside his masters bed. Likening himself to a dog or a cat. In Irene Robertsons

narrative, she claimed that her former master, Mr. Sanders, was mean, in part, because, “he beat

his wife like her beat a nigger woman.” Almost as if black women were meant to be beat.

In today's world, it seems as if everyone uses that word. I understand why black people

use it, they took it as their own, wanting to have some kind of control over their lives. But the

fact that other people use it kind of kills me. I understand that some people were raised using that

word, but it still is not right. I was raised to never really use the word. I use when I am singing

songs sometimes, but other than that I don’t feel comfortable saying it. It also hurts my a little

inside, the fact that non black kids feel more comfortable saying it than I do. And them some
people come back at us and say if you guys are allowed to say cracker, then why can’t we say the

N-word. But there is a big difference between the two.

A few years ago, I remember there being something on the news about that exact topic.

The title of the debate was, “​ the N-word vs.Cracker : which is worse​”. I didn’t actually watch

the debate. I wasn’t allowed to watch it. All I remember after reading the title was my

grandmother saying, “God, they really trying it.” as she turned the channel. And I remember

thinking why was this really even a debate. The one that they couldn’t spell out across the screen

or say out loud was obviously the one that was worse. “I always find it remarkable that white

people find n-word usage such a complicated puzzle. It’s not that complicated: Just. Don’t. Use

It,” explained Columbia professor Marc Lamont Hill. “You just have to accept that there are

some things in the world — at least one thing — that you can’t do that black people can. And

that might just be okay.” I have to say that I completely agree with Mr. Hill. This debate was on

CNN, soon after Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black man, was shot and killed. Supposedly, he

had muttered the term, “cracker” when officer George Zimmerman was following him. Many

people say that because of the fact that Martin used the term, he was racist against white people

and hence threatening enough to justify the fact the Zimmerman shot and killed him. "As a

born-and-raised Southerner— and a cracker— I feel qualified to offer some insight to those who

may be confused by this thorny sociological quandary," ​Gawker's Hamilton Nolan​ writes, “A

racial slur? Sure, technically speaking. A ​real​ racial slur? Sadly, no. ​There ​are​ no good racial

slurs for white people​. Despite the fact that white Americans have committed far more atrocities

against the other races of the world than all of those races combined have committed against

white people, there is no one single slur in popular usage that can really cut a white person to
their soft, marshmallowy core.” (explaining why cracker is no big deal). It’s as if everyone wants

to be black when it comes to all the good stuff, but none of them want to face the hardships they

go through. For instance police brutality and racial profiling.

The way most white people and most black people see the police is completely different.

Some may even say that the reviews are separated by a gap so wide is it may as well be the grand

canyon. Most white people spend practically no time worrying about the police. But for black

people it is the complete opposite.

In Ferguson, Missouri, an unarmed black teenager was shot and killed by white police

officer. Even though this young man, Michael Brown, died, the grand jury declined to indict The

officer, Darren Wilson. The very same thing happened here in New York when an officer shot

and killed Eric Garner, who was in unarmed black man, while investigating the allegations of

whether or not Mr. Gardner was selling cigarettes illegally. Imagine being shot and killed for

something that you had allegedly done or, I don’t know, for ​being black​. Twelve-year-old to

Tamir Rice was shot and killed in Cleveland, Ohio because of the fact that he was playing with a

toy gun. How many of you owned or played with the toy gun?

Due to our history with the police, black people take many precautions when it comes to

them. There is this thing that we have called, “the talk”. And I promise you that it is not the sex

talk. I’m positive that most if not all of you have never had this talk. This talk is where you sit

down with your sons and daughters and tell them that some people look at them like a target

especially when it comes to the police and that they will half to tread lightly in this world

because some people see the melanin in our skin as a weapon. Our parents always tell us to be

respectful no matter the situation and to keep your hands where they can see them at all times.
Remember to always say what you were doing before you do it, no sudden movements. It

doesn’t matter if your white friends are mouthing off and saying things, you don’t. You always

have to be respectful, no matter what. You can’t play with toy guns, climb through windows, and

you can’t ever run away from them. But they also tell us that we will have to work, try and cry

twice as hard to get even half of what they (white people) have. That we will be outside looking

in but that we will have to hold their head up high. We can make it! We will make it! We will

and must succeed! And finally they tell us that they are sorry. Sorry that we have to live in a

world where we must face such hatred and racism. But that we must overcome, and that we will

overcome.

For me it wasn’t one specific date and one specific time that my parents sat me down and

explained everything out for my siblings and myself. “The talk” had been my entire life. I had

two other brothers, Corey who is now 29 and Jahmien who is now 26. By the time I was old

enough to understand what was going on in the world I had already seen my brother get arrested

twice, and the seen the police in many situations. Whether it be something on the news or just

around.

They sit us down and tell us this because they want us to come home to them every night.

But no matter how what, they will always worry about whether or not we will be returning home

to them unharmed. Our parents just want us to grow up. Giving us the opportunity to become

anything and everything we want to be, just like your parents. How many of you have had “the

talk”, this ​talk​ with your parents and family?

Black Lives Matter has become a big movement in America. Just as any movement

people have come at it with backlash, such things like ‘All Lives Matter’ and ‘Blue lives matter’.
Many athletes have joined in on the BLM movement. One of the most famous being Colin

Kaepernick. Colin Kaepernick's kneeling for the national anthem brought on a lot of backlash.

Many saw this as a disgrace. They thought that Kaepernick kneeling was about protesting the

national anthem, the flag or the military. But people forget that before Kaepernick knelt, he sat.

And the only reason that he started kneeling was because he met with Nate Boyer, a former NFL

player and army veteran, to discuss the appearance of his protest. Wanting to come up with a

more respectful option, Boyer helped Kaepernick and some of his teammates come up with

kneeling during the anthem instead of sitting. Kaepernick voiced to NFL media, “ I am not going

to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”

The fact is that for Kaepernick and all those who knelt, kneeling was always about race and the

battles that come with living as a minority in American. They were trying to be as respectful as

they could while they peacefully protested, but instead of recognizing the message that they were

trying to convey people called them unpatriotic and ungrateful. They were even called

disrespectful of not only the flag, but the military and country as well. When writing for the New

York Times, Eric Reid, who was one of the first to kneel alongside Kaepernick wrote, “We

chose to kneel because it’s a respectful gesture. I remember thinking the posture was like a flag

flown at half-mast to mark a tragedy.” A handful of white NFL players also joined the protest.

Seth DeValve said, “I, myself, will be raising children who don’t look like me. I want to do my

part as well to do everything I can to raise them in a better environment (than) we have right

now.” DeValve is married to a black woman, and he just wants to raise their children the best

way possible. They don’t think of it as disrespectful so why do others?

Trump saw a player kneel, he said that the owners of the NFL should say, “Get that son of a

bitch off the field right now, he’s fired. He’s fired!” Continuing on by saying, “That’s a total

disrespect of our heritage. That’s a total disrespect for everything we stand for.” The audience at

that campaign rally broke out in cheers, thinking that it was a patriotic comment. But instead of

taking Trump's so called advice, NFL owners, coaches and players stood arm in arm defending

their players constitutional right. Michael Thomas, who plays for the Miami Dolphins told CNN,

“ As a man, as a father, as an African-American, as somebody in the NFL, as one of those ‘sons

of Bitches,’ you know yeah I take it personally. It’s bigger than me, I have a daughter. She’s

going to have to live in this world. And I’m going to do whatever I have to do to make sure that

she can look at her dad and be like, ‘You did something. You tried to make a change.’” Making a

change is all they are trying to do. And all we have been trying to do for centuries because none

of us want to raise our children in an environment where they are going to be judged and

discriminated against because of something that they can’t control. Imagine being hating the skin

you are in, leading you to hating yourself. It’s not fun, I can tell you that much, but we do

everything we can to make sure that we make it better for the next generation. And we will

continue to do it until they never experience even the slightest bit of racism. All I’m saying is all

lives can’t matter until black lives matter.

This project is supposed to be something of your own choosing, something you love,

something that is your life. But for me racism isn’t something of my choosing, it isn’t something

that I love. In fact, it is the thing that I hate the most. Nobody chooses that they want to have to

deal with racism for their entire life but it is something that all black people have to live with
every day. When people think racism, they think history or the past but it is still very much alive

today. There isn’t a day we can get through without hearing it, whether it be in the media, news,

or even in your own school or work place. Someday I want there to be no such thing as racism. I

want it to be a thing of the past. But in order for that to happen we have to discuss it, and

overcome it together.