Okay, so I know the "southerners are backward and racist" stereotype is quite known and has taken on an even more realistic look with the current presidency and white nationalism sweeping the nation. Unfortunately, this stereotype holds a lot of weight. Not all of us from the deep South are ignorant bigots, though.

I personally grew up in a family that made its opinion on race very known. I heard constant bashing on every race that wasn't strictly white. It was hard to live in an environment where hatred was pushed into your face on a daily basis while they expected you to believe the same as they did and participate in it.

I was "the outsider" because I chose to try to understand and tolerate people that weren't the same as I was.

I do understand, to an extent, why some of my family were racists. They had been brought up in it and it was almost normal in the times that they were growing up to be that way. That doesn't excuse anyone from being hateful to an entire group of people that they knew nothing about, though. I grew up in the same situation that they had and I chose to experience and learn and create my own opinion.

There are so many stereotypes about the Black and Hispanic community that white people have come to think is fact and it's holding us back from excelling. I hear all the time, "they're all criminals that feed off the government and our tax dollars." Where is your source? Every race has bad people. That's humanity in general. You can't persecute a race for what a few people do and then completely overlook your own race when they're doing the same thing.

I learned that my family didn't contain confident racists. They're not the ones who will go up to a POC and spit at them. They're the ones who talk terribly about them at home and then treat them as friends in the street. Racists are everywhere, I'm not trying to condemn the South. They were just predominantly in hiding up until this presidency. We had a black president so no one wanted to show their true colors for fear of being called out for it. Now, you can be as hateful as you want and not receive consequences. Even the president overlooks the actions of Nazis. It's become more acceptable and thus more noticed.

Do not allow this type of behavior. If you see racism going on, speak up.

The only way any justice and accountability will be done is if you don't let them believe that they can act that way. We all have to come together and fight as one against the volatile energy and actions that are going on under the current political system. The most important people in this country won't take up for minorities, so we have to. Tell them you care for them and support them. Stand up for them. Let them know that there are still good people working to bridge the gap of racial tensions.

Most of all, be kind. Understand that there are so many different people in this world. There are people who have been through unspeakable things. Don't generalize a race when you know nothing of their struggles and victories.