I'm black. I don't know if you knew that or it was something you weren't expecting, but it's true. I'm black, going to a predominantly white university, writing on a predominantly white blog platform and living in a predominantly white city. I never understood why it upset people so much when I didn't hang out with my own race, why I always hung around "those white guys". The truth is, when I was in elementary school, we had just moved from downtown Birmingham to Clay. The differences between these two places are so extensive I could write an article about it.
The thing is, when I moved to where I went to school for the rest of my life, it was and still is a predominantly white community. The few people of other colors didn't like me. They bullied me because I didn't act like them, because I wasn't black enough. This gave me a terrible impression of people who looked like me, because they were mean, so I didn't want to be around them. Up until high school, my skin color didn't make me black, the music I listened to, the way I talked and whether I had weave or not did. When I finally made it to ninth grade things were a little different. The other black kids were in advanced courses too, they liked the music I liked and some of them didn't have weave like me. It was my first time since elementary school that I started too see a diversity within my skin color. I learned a few things about myself, my race and those around me during those four years. So now your question is, "Well now we know your background, what are you trying to say?"
Racism isn't gone. I know that everyone is still saying it, but seriously, racism isn't gone. It's not just old confederate white men being racist. It's anyone. I had to come to terms that I was being prejudice against my own race. I had a couple years of bad experiences and I began to lump all black people together and said that they were all like that. That's so wrong on so many levels, and I am saddened that I didn't notice it before my senior year, or at least I didn't acknowledge it. As millennials, it is our job to set an example for the new generation, to seriously end racism. However, we can't do that if we're stuck in the same ways our parents and grandparents are. We have to be different. Unconscious bias isn't racism, you can't control that until you're made aware of it. It becomes racism when you become aware of the truth, but still believe the bigotry and lies.
I have a white boyfriend whom I am very happy with, but I still get asked from people my age, "Why aren't you dating a black boy?", "why do you date white guys?", etc. It's 2017, shouldn't I, and anybody else, be able to date whoever we want without being questioned on our skin color choices? Why does that matter? Why is it that when I don't listen to Tupac or other rap artists, I get labeled as uppity and having bad music taste? Why can't I talk about my experiences without being told they are invalid because I'm not as dark as others? These are the problems of our generation. We are continuing the prejudice actions of the generations before us. We say it's all their fault and that our generation doesn't have racism or prejudice, but it does. We need to stop complaining about racism as if it is not our problem.
If racism is going to end, then we need to start now with our generation. That includes our own races. Black people can be racist too. It's time we all stop fighting each other. Yes we're different colors, but we're all still people with personalities and feelings. Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, European, the list goes on and on. It's time everyone sits back and evaluates their own behavior. How can YOU change and therefore influence the world around you by your actions. Don't just complain about the injustices of the world, do something about them. Write, work, live. The second we sit down and complain without doing anything about it, they win. Say your piece, tell your story. Someone shouldn't have to die for people to want to change. Plant the seed of unity. Plant the seed of faith. I think it's about time we make a change. Don't you?
