I am white. As diverse as I'd like to think my friends are, the majority of them are also white. My family is white, my coworkers are mostly white, most of my heroes and idols are, you guessed it, white. An alarming amount of my college professors were white, the population of my campus was heavily in favor of whites. The staff, the students, the town, the people, the individuals I was taught about, also predominantly white. So, what do you call a University, town, history books, stores and populous mostly white? Well, we call it society. What would you call a neighborhood that is predominantly black? If the word that came to your mind starts with a "G" then congratulations, you're a product of a society that has systematically glorified white culture while simultaneously oppressing other cultures deemed "lesser."
There are 365 days in a year, and black culture is compressed to 28 days, 29 if it's a leap year. This month, the month of February, happens to be Black History Month.
"Oh if they get Black History Month we should have a White History Month."
Yeah? Well, the Caucasian race already has a history month. Eleven of them, actually. Caucasians have written the majority what is considered history in this country. See, this month (And any month set aside for a specific culture) is meant to rejoice, glorify and celebrate a culture, its people, its customs, its minds, and its contributions to the world.
This is what we should be doing. We, as an entire culture, should be celebrating and rejoicing in the achievements of this culture. Instead, what are we doing, other than ignoring the aforementioned culture for a sporting event, and then subsequently complaining about a political statement made within the entertainment segment of said sporting event.
Good job, America, you've literally placed trivial games above other human beings and their culture. See, my issue is that instead of glorifying and rejoicing in a culture, we are taught that any pride a Black individual has in their culture, is automatically trying to place themselves over other cultures, when Caucasian culture constantly belittles glorification of black culture (along with others) and manipulates the populace into believing that any form of pride an individual may have in their culture is "reverse racism."
I get it, race is uncomfortable to talk about. But let's talk! Not just this article, I mean as a culture. Our problem is that we don't talk, so when somebody is given a platform and speaks out on equality for the races, it's attacked and called outrageous.
Yes, I am referring to Beyonce's political statement at the Superbowl. Oh my God, you mean that a celebrity used her fame to take a stance on a social issue? It's almost as if no other celebrity has ever done that before.
Look guys, who cares that she made a non-verbal statement about racial struggles? News flash, she's black. News flash, part two, she is a black woman who is proud of her heritage and race. Does that make her racist? Absolutely not, just as me being proud of my race doesn't make me racist. What gets tricky is when a person who belongs to a race that's been oppressed for so many years speaks out for equality with the races, it's shot down.
Queen Bey's performance was empowering. "Oh my god she dressed like the Black Panthers!" *gasps* Yeah, and guess what we're doing? We're talking about race and equality as a result. This isn't easy, and racial divide is still an issue being brought to light, and something that needs addressing. So let's get talking. Let's figure out why this country is still caught up in issues of race. But what we shouldn't do is bend our necks every time a celebrity uses their platform to voice their opinion.
We're a country divided, and we don't even realize it. We should celebrate every culture, every day, and we should learn that equality is far from received. So folks, let's stop focusing on politics, and let's actually use our time to celebrate a flourishing culture- we can't be equal unless we learn equal, and understanding comes through learning.
