Racial Discrimination in America

Image Credit: Salvatore Vuono via FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This is a topic on which I've been intentionally silent on social media for reasons of which I rather not blather on about. Right now, I feel the need to speak up and share my thoughts.

Note: I'm going to talk about this from a black female's point of view simply because I am one. I can't speak for any other culture or ethnicity.

Ever since the incident with Trayvon Martin, the news has been FLOODED with instances of cops, particularly white, male cops using excessive and lethal force on citizens, particularly black citizens. People and groups are arguing and dividing themselves with the "us against them" mentality over who was in the right and who was in the wrong.

So, perhaps you're thinking something along the lines of:
"People need to stop making this about race."

"Why are black people always bringing race into the picture?"

"It's all the media's fault."

"Why is it always about black versus white?"

"Oh, great. Now she's gonna talk about how all cops are bad."

"What happened in the past is in the past. Black people just need to get over it."

Or perhaps you're not thinking any of those and you're sitting there silently, waiting to see what I'm going to say.

This "giant" is something that has been around for ages. It's not new. Discrimination, hate, racism, bigotry, and oppression are all things that have been apart of America's beginnings since before our independence. Some were running away from it while others were being forced into it. Racism and discrimination is something that has been passed on from generation to generation.  Does that mean racism and discrimination only involves black and white people? No. The two predominant races in America are Black American and White American. The two have a very complex relationship with one another. It just like election time. We will always hear about the Democratic Party, Republican Party, but seldom any other political parties.

Yes, the media have, are and will take incidences and inflate them to be bigger than what they should. But, then again, they've been doing that for years. Their goals are firstly, to gain and maintain readers/viewers/ratings and secondly, tell what's going on in our society. It's also important for us to remember that the full truth is not always told to us.

As far as black people: What we are seeing in protests, riots and posts on social media are feelings of anger, a sense of hopelessness, desires to be heard and a desire see changes for the better. We have watched, listened and experienced our loved ones and people who look like us go through the same things that have happened to our forefathers and foremothers. For some people, watching history repeat itself has driven them to express their anger in various ways. Some will protest, riot, write, petition, make videos or just stay silent. Whatever the response is, it's individual. All black people are not and will not riot(ing). Those that do are just a small percentage.

Think of all the cops in America as apples in a 10 acre orchard. In the world that we live in, it would be ridiculous to say that all of those apples are going to be good or all of those apples are going to be bad. Some will be good, and some will be bad. Some will look good on the outside but are rotten on the inside. Some apples will be good at first but have something growing or living on the inside that will slowly cause them to go bad overtime. What that being said, some cops are bad and have no business being in that line of work, while other cops are good and are truly in the field to serve and protect everyone, no matter who they are or what they look like.

Asking non-white persons to forget the discrimination that has happened to them and their ancestors is like telling a person that's been abused to forget what happened to them. Telling black people to stop speaking out about certain issues that are prevalent in our community is a slap in the face. Telling minorities to rid themselves of the labels that highlight our differences is asking us to erase our culture, traditions and the good things that make us unique. There's nothing wrong with being different. If someones difference makes you uncomfortable, then you need to address the problem that's within yourself. One can forgive, but they won't forget.

So what should be done? Action

1. As a Christian, zealous prayer is a must. Whether in groups or on our own, we must pray for wisdom and for God to influence the lives and actions of those in leadership positions. Pray for all police officers and their families. Especially those that feel like their stuck between a rock and a hard place.
2. Open the lines of communication. That means blacks and non-blacks coming together to learn and listen from one another. The "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" approach will not make this giant go away. This includes stepping out of your comfort zone. 
3. If you want to protest, do so peacefully and legally. If you want to petition, do so with passion and in a way that's not intentionally mean or cutting.
4. Love one another. Yes, that includes those people who are different as well as those who have a different opinion than yours. As a Christian, we love because God is Love and He showed us how it's supposed to be done first.
5. Accept the fact that differences are good. There's nothing wrong with minorities loving the skin and the culture that they're in. For so long, we've been told and taught to be ashamed of our skin color or where our ancestors came from. For so long we've been told that if you want to be accepted in society, you have to be white. 
6. Acknowledge that evil and corruption exists in the world. Although we cannot fully get rid of it ourselves because we are imperfect beings, we can educate ourselves about identifying and combating them.

Those are my thoughts. Have a happy week.