I Believe in Equality

I admit racism has had a phenomenal decrease since the early to mid 1900s but it definitely survives in the minds of Americans. Often time’s people in the present day make a statement that they believe has no connection to racism just because it doesn’t use words like “Nigger” or “Cracker.” Everyone has their beliefs and my belief is that a person’s personality should not be determined by race or the color of their skin.

This reminds me of a situation that remains deeply engraved in my mind. As I was seated on the bus, surrounded by a musty odor the words of my peer struck me. “You’re an Oreo,” she said. I thought to myself, wondering if this had really happened. Without thinking about whether I cared or not I ask, “What’s that mean?”

She laughed and said, “You’re black on the outside but white on the inside.” I waited, taking in the words. I wanted to be polite enough to get my point across but dramatic enough to show my seriousness toward the comment. I gathered my words and poured them out.

“What makes a person black on the inside?” I ask her. I received no reply. At this point I had lost much of my patience and could feel my blood boiling.

“I’m not stupid. You think all black people are supposed to do bad things, get bad grades, and have no money.” Done with the conversation, I began removing my MP3 player from my pocket. With my music blasting in my ear, working as my therapy, I realized the girl still had something to say. I removed by earphones and acted as though I was interested.

“No, that’s not what I meant,” she said. Still in shock from the ignorant comment I said, “Race doesn’t mean a person must act a certain way.” I returned my earphones to their position and continued taking in the tunes, attempting to relieve some of my anger.

From this situation I learned that many people think wrongly of other races, meaning racism is still present in this world. I believe a person should not be judged on their personality because of their race. The situation also gave me something to live up to. Even though the racist comments are unbelievably rude I’ve learned to work harder to change the minds of people who stereotype, not only blacks, but all minorities.

The situation with the girl on the bus has not been the only racist orientation I’ve had in my lifetime. I also remember a time when I was at Wal-Mart. I was strolling around to avoid grocery shopping with my mom when I noticed a Wal-Mart employee who seemed to be following me around. I immediately knew what she was up to. “I’m not going to steal anything,” I politely told the woman. She hurried away, I assume because of embarrassment.

In cases like this I wonder if I should actually be mad at the person making the shocking accusations or my own race. I think maybe if the African American population worked harder to change the minds of others, future generations won’t have to deal with the uncomfortable problems the present generation face. But at the same time I remember everyone is equal and all races do the same things. It might just be that the African American race happens to get the bad rap more often or maybe it’s more widely talked about. Perhaps it has to do with racist members of law enforcement or racist school educators or maybe just bad parenting. There’s no way to say one group of people is any worse than another because in their eyes everything may be just right. Could it be a lack of communication between people of different ethnicities? Will racism ever come to an end? Will the human mind ever act as one? I believe a lack of communication between people of different backgrounds cause a lot the tension between people. If all races could integrate their beliefs and knowledge we may have a much more united environment. I also believe racism will never successfully come to an end. I try to remain optimistic but every person has a mind of their own and some people will never allow them selves to change. However, minorities can change as many minds as possible if we just try. I’ve learned so much from ignoring the aggressive attitudes from others. I will continue to be the best I can be and will forever believe a person’s personality should not be determined by their race.