In class this week, we spent most of the time watching a
video over racism and discussing our responses to the video. This video really
made me reconsider my thoughts on racism in America today. Before the movie,
racism was not an issue I really considered prevalent in America today. At one
of the earlier points in the video, they talked about how America had acted
like the issue of racism was dead until the LA Riots. This really resonated
with me because it reminded me of everything America has faced in the last few
months with the Ferguson riots and the situation surrounding that, and how I had
perceived racism as an issue of the past until the racial tension exploded over
this issue.
As I continued
to reevaluate my stance on racism in the 21st century, there were
more things that made me realize how much of an issue it really is. One part of
the video that really stood out to me was when they discussed the topic of
America being an equal opportunity country and how the African Americans felt
that they were still disadvantaged even in the 21st century. When
the white man disagreed with their stance, they said something along the lines
of “How do you know my reality better than I know my own reality?” This quote
really resonated with me because I have believed my whole life that anything is
possible as long as you are willing to put in the hard work to achieve it, just
as the white man who had disagreed with their stance. The response in the video
to this really made me reconsider it. There is no way for me to know what it is
like coming from a different perspective, such as an African American’s, and I
should not assume that there are not barriers that are nearly impossible for
them to overcome in their search for success. Another part of the video that
made me really think about my “white privilege” that I have grown up accustom
to was when the one woman had to explain what “white privilege” was to her
daughter. Her example was so true, and it really made me sad that even in the
21st century, someone would be very suspicious of a black man coming
into a predominantly white neighborhood and taking care of a home. The fact
that this would raise suspicion even if the black man was simply entering the
house and not breaking in or forcing an entry is truly saddening.
Although
I agreed with many of the points made in the video, there was one segment that I
simply could not agree with. One man said that to overcome racism, you need to
abandon your whiteness and somewhat distance yourself from the white community.
I do not agree with this stance at all.
I believe that to overcome racism we should not abandon who we are, but
we should be self-aware of who we are and of who others are, and we should
learn to accept everyone for who they are.
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