I am ashamed to admit that, before this week, I thought police brutality and racism were getting better in America. We say that all lives matter, that black lives matter, but we don’t really mean it, at least literally. Within the past week, two police shootings took place. Both were black men. Unfortunately, both were shot by police officers.

When I first heard the news, I watched the videos accompanying the news posts. My heart became heavy, realizing that these were men with families. I cannot begin to fathom the amount of heart-wrenching grief their loved ones must be experiencing right now.

I have always treated the issue of racism as a folk tale, a story that we read about in books. It is something we teach our kids in school in history class. The problem is racism is not over; it is not a thing of the past. Racism is a prejudice, subconsciously taught to the younger generation. Sure, racism, genocide, and sexism are things that existed back then. We have taken a few steps forward and passed a few laws to try to lessen the prejudice. However, it is, by no means, over yet. Not even close.

The issue has morphed and changed into something that we no longer recognize. Or if we do recognize it, it has been deemed as socially acceptable, so we just ignore it, assuming that it is not our problem.

For me, the issue has always seemed distant. Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Hundreds of miles from where I live. But are they really so far away? Minnesota and Louisiana are hundreds of miles apart. So who is to say that my small town is not next? Or your town?

My point is that however far away these shootings are, they still affect us all. Two deaths, two murders, in one week alone, causing many individuals to suffer from the loss of loved ones. Our brothers and sisters are dying. This is our problem. Racism is still very real. It is a prejudice that we constantly live with. It surrounds us, whether we realize and acknowledge it or not.

Many people still think racism is about money. Fix the wage gap. Change the poverty statistics. Employ people equally. Offer a few scholarships. It is not solely about money. That is only a small piece of the puzzle. I’m not saying that money is not an important piece because it is, but there is so much more than that. Change the way you think about people. Don’t assume that if you toss cash at people, you can treat them however you want.

In order to solve the issue of racism, we must change ourselves, our ideas and our attitudes from the inside out. Start with yourself. I’ll start with me. Together we can change the way we treat people. Maybe some others will change with us along the way.

Please, do not read this and do nothing. Each and every one of us has the power to modify ourselves and change how we are viewed by people. Don’t read this and feel unchanged, or unwilling. By doing nothing, you are no better than the officer that launched those bullets into the chest of Alton Sterling. I urge you, do something. It’s time to take a stand.