No matter how much we study and
learn about racism in school, I still get angry and dismayed when I read stories
such as this one. I think that in today’s society it can be easy to generalize racism
and say that “it was a bad part of American history”. I think that it is when
we hear specific, first person stories such as Mr. Right’s that we can more easily
grasp how racism was an all consuming and uncontrollable thing that ruled over
every aspect of people lives. In Mr.
Right’s case specifically, it affected everything from his neighborhood to his
job. Above all, this affected his safety and it is a challenge that he had to
face throughout his entire life.
One of the common themes that I noticed
throughout this article is that during that time period, colored people had to
be in control at all times. To them, there is no such thing as slipping up and snapping
at a white person. They could never show any angry or frustrated emotions
because it could have fatal repercussions. This fact forced Mr. Right to ingenuinely
do things such as laugh at white people’s racist jokes and sexual harassment.
There was no circumstance in which a black person could forget a simple thing
such as saying “yessir” or “nosir”. Right learned this lesson on his ride to
town with his broken bicycle. The uncommon nice gesture from white people
quickly turned condescending and violent when Right declined a drink in an impolite
way. With time Mr. Right learned how to correctly navigate these situations and
learned how to be in control at all times. An example of this would be when he
was in the elevator and conveniently dropped the packages to avoid being
impolite to a white person.
This article not only taught me more
about racism in the past but also made me think about racism today. I believe
that racism still exists today and that denying it won’t solve anything. Just a
quick internet search can find thousands of examples of racism in today’s society.
An article that I found written by Jamelle Bouie (link below) gave various
specific examples that showed that America has not made as much progress on the
subject of racism as we might think. I’m not denying the progress that we have
made; I just think that this is still an issue that needs more attention.
Hey Sami! I really liked your post and enjoyed reading the article that you attached. I had no idea that some of things mentioned in the article were actually happening. Its absurd that people still think its okay to treat each other like that. I also like how you mentioned how much self-control they had to have. I'm sure it wasn't easy for them to keep their thoughts inside while they had to agree with something they knew was very wrong. As you said, this is definitely an issue that needs to be worked on.
ReplyDeleteHey Sam, great job on this blog! I too get very angry and saddened when reading about previous acts of racism and discrimination, as well as learning of hate crimes that still happen today. I love you you point out that, "in today’s society it can be easy to generalize racism and say that 'it was a bad part of American history.'" I think that statement is very accurate, and sometimes people think of racism as bad treatment, instead of a way of life where blacks lived in constant fear and torment. This idea was set in stone by the fact that blacks could never make a mistake, show their emotions, or refer to a white person in an indifferent way. Overall, fantastic blog Sam!
ReplyDeleteReally good post Sam.I enjoyed that you not only incorporated the essay and the story and topic of racism but you also included your own personal opinion. It made for a different feel rather than reading an extremely sad and depressing story in a racist nation. The facts that you presented were well thought out and carefully written to provoke different emotions and thoughts. I also thought that adding a link to a news article about racism today was very unique and appropriate. Overall great job.
ReplyDelete