One of the first things I saw when I looked at the news was the incident in Baton Rouge where a man by the name of Alton Sterling was killed during an arrest being made by two police officers. I saw the man literally killed in cold blood while being restrained. I also saw how it affected his family and loved ones who knew him, his 15-year-old son breaking down in tears on having to witness his own father being taken from him. Not too long after, I hear of the tragedy in Minnesota involving Philando Castle: shot 4 times during a traffic stop when he “reached for his license and registration” as told by his girlfriend who, along with her daughter, bore witness to his death at the scene. As tragic as these scenarios are, incidences like this are hardly new and have been taking place since the foundation of this country. My heart wept for the Sterling family as well as those involved in the life of Castle. It also served as a reminder of what we as a country are dealing with, what we as a country have been dealing with for decades, and what I, as an African American male, have to be cognizant of while living in this country in order to survive. When I was young, I never really looked into the aspects of race or truly understood it. I grew up amongst a majority of white citizens and felt the only differences that took place were between genders, between children and adults, and between right and wrong (prior to my understanding of its subjectivity). Keep in mind that this outlook was during the golden age of childhood. Upon getting older and learning more of my heritage and the past that it wove, I began to see the outcomes of past actions in the present and notice more differences that were brought about because of race. I began to see that people would look at me and other people like me differently due to our race, regardless of how subtle. I would then notice that people would have expectations for how black people should act given certain things that hold an interest for the great majority, things that would often lead to stereotypes. I discovered this when I would often receive the nicknames like “Token” or “Oreo” due to my unique preferences that didn’t seem to fit their perception of what black people should be interested in. Terms like “affirmative action” and “political correctness” regarding minorities have also been discovered and showed me that achievement and success doesn’t always guarantee acceptance and acknowledgement of your hard work, effort, and statement. It also doesn’t bode well for when we as a community feel wronged or mistreated and try to speak out against it. Perhaps one of the things that I find the most peculiar is that the discussion of race is such a taboo topic in this country. #BlackLivesMatter and the response of #AllLivesMatter is perhaps the biggest example of this taboo. People would dismiss the need for awareness and action regarding the mistreatment of the black community and interpret it as proclaiming self-importance, being above other races, negligence of other races, and merely being sensitive about an era that is passed in their eyes. The idea of shutting down this seeking of awareness and action because it isn’t something that can be related to or understood is disappointing and often discourages me. It’s also a sad thing that race is such a taboo, people often try to dismiss race as an unimportant factor in order to attempt to breed a sense of equality and unity when it merely rejects the culture that they carry and the hardships that such a culture face on a daily basis which is contrary to the sense of equality they promote. Perhaps the most heartbreaking thing to see is my culture tearing itself apart for the pettiest reasons. Black on black crime, tearing each other down when we should come together and rise, dividing for self-interests when unity is essential, these things often sadden me and while many of it falls on the choices we make, it is also a product of the past actions that lead many black communities into the state they presently reside in and are destined to continue unless investment and change can be made towards such communities. The idea of “America”, the principle of what the nation should be once it was founded, the essence of that principle should be what this country portrays. With most of the domestic issues being faced regarding race, perhaps the most important element to truly solve these issues in the long run is understanding. Instead of merely dismissing one’s culture as unimportant to avoid that taboo, I implore you to understand it. Educate yourselves with both the good and bad that come with that culture in order to be able to not only revel in the success our culture may experience but also share in the pain that we feel as well whenever tragedy strikes within our community. Educate yourselves and reach out in order to diminish the fears and uncertainties that lead to these violent tragedies. Whenever the topic of race does come up, I often try to educate others to see from our perspective in order to create such understanding. Even if there isn’t an agreement, an understanding is, at the very least, the first place to start in order for proper coexistence to occur. Despite the tragedies and inconsistencies, there is also a side of achievement and blessing I’ve managed to bear witness to as well. For me personally, I’ve been fortunate enough to receive a wonderful education due to the efforts of not only my ancestors and parents, my hard work and perseverance also paved the way towards success in that avenue. By learning of my history and applying it to the present, I’ve been able to appreciate the smaller things that many would take for granted without understanding the significance: the bonds I’ve made with people of various races, cultures, and creeds, the positions of power and leadership I’ve managed to attain, the simple liberty of being able to pursue and cherish diversity as I do. For Barack Obama to become the nation’s 1^st African American President, it showed that despite the hardship we may face on the road, any dream is possible to reach. To see those within the black community attain the “American Dream”, it continues to fuel my faith that we as community can reach it together and that we as a nation has the potential to become more united, hand in hand, culture to culture, creed to creed. I shall continue to help and educate others in this respect despite the difficulty. My hope is that once I achieve my goal in life, I will be able to inspire others, especially those within my community, to reach those goals. Think of my accounts and opinions as you will, but know that my motivation is clear: to become a story of inspiration rather than a hashtag of tragedy, to help to eliminate the ghosts of the past and perpetuate the wheels of progression, that is what I, as an African American in this country, strive for and will continue to strive for so long as I have this enduring will. And it’s not just a statement for my community, it’s a statement for the essence that is America.