R A C E

Photo: Dorret

"Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved." -Mattie Stepanek

What is Racial Discrimination?

A straightforward definition of racial discrimination is the process of discrimination towards a specific group of individuals based on their race. Discrimination alone means “the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different” groups of individuals. It is unfair, cruel, and inhumane. It needs to stop.

Where is this Problem Coming From?

An estimated amount of 72% of Americans think that racial discrimination against blacks is a serious problem in this country. While 89% of blacks and 81% of Hispanics share that sentiment, roughly 68% of whites said it’s a serious problem and 30% said it’s not a serious problem, believing that we have done all necessary actions in order to to achieve racial equality. In terms of politics, 81% of Democrats believe the country has yet to continue improving, unlike the 59% of Republicans believe that this country has done enough for its POC (people of color). Racial discrimination has less to do with politics though, it has to do with society as a whole and the way our perspectives have been negatively altered in the past. We as a society have to work as a whole to eliminate the existing racial bias and discrimination.

Its Impact on Society

I'm sure we've all seen on the news or on a social media app, Twitter perhaps, videos of people, typically white people, throwing a bunch of hate comments at a person of color. And for what reason? Because of their race. Although sometimes it is not directly mentioned by the person that they're attacking that person of color because of their skin color, it is clear in their choice of words and their tone that they are attacking the person solely based on their skin color and sometimes because of an itty bitty inconvenience. I would tell you all how many times I have seen videos or articles of my people being targeted for no reason at all. It hurts me. It hurts anyone that has a heart. If it doesn't hurt you then you are part of the problem. Although society is nowadays more diverse, it is still heavily segregated. Let's take the city of Chicago for example. Chicago is a beautiful diverse city, at least it seems like it. Despite that, Chicago is still heavily segregated. It seems like every neighborhood in Chicago is for a specific group of people, Chinatown and Little Village to name a few obvious ones. It's clear that people tend to be near other people just like them, but why is that?

How Can This Problem Be Fixed?

Bias is inevitable, everyone is bound to have some sort of bias but there is a difference between having a bias or opinion about something and being completely disrespectful and cruel. The first step to fixing a problem is acknowledging it exists, that is what separates those who are woke and those who are ignorant. We will always have those people who are selfish and believe that their beliefs are the only truth but the more people that are aware of problems that exist in terms of racial discrimination, the more efficiently we can progress as a whole. There will always be negativity, or else we won’t have positivity, but it is possible to make this world a better place for everyone inclusively.

R E A L   S T O R I E S

Video shows police arresting two black men as they sit at a Starbucks in Philadelphia (Gaurdian News)

Personal Experience: Lately there has been a lot of racism towards the hispanic community. My parents are Spanish speakers and watch the news in Spanish, the news has also been showing a lot of stories about the amount of racism aimed towards the hispanic community. The amount of discrimination directed towards that community is awful and terrifying. My mom tells me everyday how scared she is and how she hopes that we will never directly face a racist experience like those shown on the news. It saddens me a lot.

"I had the misfortune of jogging early in the morning through my almost all-white neighborhood in small city near Boston. There was no crime in progress; a cop just thought I looked suspicious, pointed a gun at me and forced me to the ground while peppering his orders with lots of curse words. He demanded ID and grilled me about 'what I was doing in the neighborhood.' Then he left me with a sarcastic 'have a nice day.'" -Anon

"I’m Mexican but was adopted by an all-white family in a white community. I don’t speak any Spanish and nobody would know I was Mexican unless they looked carefully. When I married I never talked about my heritage with my in-laws, so they may have assumed I was just a very tan white person. One day driving home with my sister-in-laws, we saw a black woman being pulled over. Immediately the race jokes began. My husband looked his sister in the eye and asked, 'Are you a racist? Why would you say that?' She responded that she was and hated all people of color. It was her right to be racist. I remember my husband yelling at her. I remember feeling my body shake as I realized the family I married into hated me. I remember saying that if she ever spoke like that in the future I wouldn’t give her the opportunity again. But most of all I remember feeling sick. My whole life people assumed I was white but I wasn’t. I’d been living a lie. And now my in-laws knew I wasn’t white. I knew they wouldn’t like me now. It’s troubling, to say the least. Now at family gatherings I can’t help but feel insecure. I know nobody will forget that day in the car—the day they realized I wasn’t one of them. But today ... I’m proud. I’m proud to be Mexican." -Anon

"White woman (nursing staff) called the police on me after she abused me in the ER. The police (6) came and I was nearly arrested for ‘breaking federal law.’. The police and nursing staff said I violated HIPAA. I was in a wheelchair, having difficulty breathing (with a suspected pulmonary embolism). This was right in Center City Philadelphia on Monday, April 23, 2018. I can’t even be sick and black. I’m so disgusted." -Janice Roots

"An experience I've had with racism is being handcuffed and detained by cops for crossing the street in my hood at night. I was shoved, knocked to the ground and thrown in a wagon only to be let go 30 minutes later. To be seen as a black person in America is to be seen as a monster." -Christian Lovehall

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