In a world where we have a racist reality star as our president, where people from certain countries can't enter the United States, where young black girls are going missing at alarming rates, and where there is a threat of a wall to keep "aliens" out, the most logical idea would be for everyone to stick together. One would think that all of the marginalized groups who are discriminated against would band together, right? There's power in numbers and statistically, if all people of color (POC) banded together, we would have a way better chance at making a change. This is what we call POC solidarity.

POC solidarity is a great idea in concept. Instead of focusing on our differences as people of color, we focus on our similarities. We focus on the common enemy -- those who are discriminating against us. We help each other combat our issues and band together to make a change. We protest together, organize together, petition together and create an effect together. Sounds good, right?

The problem with the idea of POC solidarity is that it's a myth. A fairytale. An illusion. A wish that could only happen in our wildest dreams. POC have never truly banded together in any form of solidarity, as much as it may seem like that's the easiest route to go. It seems to be difficult to get a sense of unity between us. But why?

The problem is, in a society built on discrimination and racism, a hierarchy is inevitable. White people are clearly at the top of this hierarchy and I doubt anyone would argue that. But the bottom of the structure is where stuff gets messy. See, this hierarchy isn't just white people at the top with people of color at the bottom. People of color are split into groups who end up at different levels. And nobody wants to end up at the bottom.

So how does one make sure they're never at the bottom of the food chain? The only way is to keep those at the bottom in their place. Currently, one could argue that black people are at the bottom. So not only do black people have to deal with the rampant discrimination of white people, but they also have to deal with discrimination from other people of color.

For example, this video of an Asian man violently attacking a black woman in a beauty supply store has recently gone viral. Many people were surprised but many others weren't, already being aware of the common discrimination against black people that occurs in Asian communities. But this isn't exclusive to Asian communities.

Latino communities also exercise blatant anti-blackness, despite the fact that there are plenty of black Latinos. They often ostracize and condemn the black people in their own communities. And in Muslim communities? The same anti-blackness is prevalent. Anti-blackness occurs across the board in non-black POC communities.

This isn't to say that black people don't exercise discrimination and ignorance against other people of color as well. In my own community, I've heard plenty of ignorant jokes made about the accents of Asian people or ignorant comments made about Latinos or terrible islamophobic jokes made at the expense of Muslim people. Black people are in no way innocent in the issue of people of color's broken relationship with each other. But we also remain at the bottom of the food chain. Therefore, they remain the most helpless, and get the least power and respect out of all the groups.

But what's the problem with all of this? Who cares if we're unified?

The problem is, when people of color are fractured, it makes it easier to take us down. And we need each other. Take the Black Lives Matter movement for example. Due to the large platform Black Lives Matters has gained, there have been plenty of times that members of other marginalized groups have approached BLM members and asked them to speak on issues that other people of color have.

However, black people are aware of the rampant anti-blackness in other communities, and have, at times refused to speak out about the problems of other people of color. Many argue that it is not the responsibility of black people to speak out on the issues of groups that would turn around and throw those same black people under the bus if necessary to keep their model minority status.

So what do we do about this? Will POC solidarity always be a myth? Can we ever truly put our differences aside and fight the powers that be? Some people may argue that there will never be solidarity because someone will always want to be the best, and they don't mind stepping on the toes of others to do it. But I believe that it can be done.

If other people of color fix their own anti-black sentiments and the sentiments of anti-blackness in their communities, and I mean really fix them, not just cover them up, we may be able to find a place of solidarity and unity. In turn, if black people unlearn the stereotypes that have been fed to them by the very people that stereotype black people, they may be able to find a place of togetherness.

Because we're all fighting the same battle. And if we don't come together, we'll always lose.