Striving For Racial Equity

Reflection:

“The evidence of racism and discrimination against average everyday folks of color is still very much evident”. I as a person of color witness many of the ways in which white people discriminate towards people of color in ways that make us feel, in comparison to them, inferior. A few days ago at the pharmacy I watched as the pharmacist, treated the woman with little to no respect. As I approached the counter I had this feeling of fear, like he was also going to treat me as badly as he did to the woman before me. To my surprise he didn't and after analyzing what had happened I came to the conclusion that he didn't treat me as badly because I demonstrated to have somewhat a decent amount educational background, despite my skin color. I believe that many times white people judge wrongfully. They see a person of color and automatically assume the worst. They see the broad picture but forget to consider the alibis. For example, the majority of people of color live in poverty, send their children to less privileged schools but are expected to get the same kind of education a white children who live in privileged neighborhoods and attend private schools. The reality is that it is nearly impossible. “Schools are no longer legally segregated, but because of residential patterns, housing discrimination, economic disparities and long-held custom, they most emphatically are in reality” (Herbert). Even though the law of Brown vs. Board of Education still exists we still see a level of discrimination even today. “Black and Brown is still considered in a negative light. The fact that we can carve out exceptions for people that make us feel comfortable is not going to get us fully to racial equity” (Tim Wise). After hearing his I had ah ha moment because I completely agree with this. The fact that people of color are still till this day looked down upon is only holding us back from achieving the goal of racial equity. We need to fix this issue and the only way to start, is to stop denying the problem itself.  

Talking point: Many white people don't know exactly what it's like to be a victim of discrimination. If more people knew what is was like maybe they would stop judging and starting thinking differently about people of color; leaving behind the horrible stereotypes that have been glued to our foreheads.