I'll let you watch for yourselves...
The new face of racism is white fear.
This is what happens when you are able to live in a bubble and never have to mingle, communicate, share a space, or befriend people that don't look like you. I hate to come down on you if you are White or Asian (I'll explain why in a minute), but I have to. If you or your children are living in an environment where you don't have to be around anybody aside from white people you are doing yourself an extreme disservice. How do you expect to NOT be afraid when you encounter the people you hear so many negative stereotypes about? I mean... it's almost impossible! Now, the reason I lump Asian people in with white people is because most of the stereotypes about Asian people lean more towards the positive side... we can fight about who has the most negative stereotypes later if you want.
Honestly, I'm exhausted. Black and Brown people have to be absolutely perfect in order to make everyone around us feel comfortable. Brown teenagers can't snicker and laugh in orientation or wear hoodies without being labeled. Just think about it for a minute... think about how many times you and your friends shared a joke in the back of class, or in a museum, or church, or the zoo, or the grocery store, or anywhere for that matter. Do you think you would have deserved to be called suspicious? Do you think onlookers should have called the police on you? I can't tell you how many times my mom wanted me to dress up for something and I didn't feel like it. Imagine how many white teenage boys would be arrested if walking around with their hands in the pockets of their hoodies was as frightening as people make it out to be for black and brown people.
As a brown person in this country you should be allowed to have a bad hair day and put on a hat, or a hoodie. You should be able to laugh in the back of a room with your friends, even if it is disrespectful. You should be able to hold a meeting in a Starbucks wearing jeans...These things should not make people fearful, these are normal things people do. This type of fear comes from a lack of interaction.
I just wish people were more fearful of white men in trench coats, or people wearing back packs in unusual public places, or pick up trucks with confederate flags, or people posting pictures with assault rifles on social media... I feel like we could have avoided several mass school shootings if someone would have just felt nervous enough to call the police.
We live in a time where a brown person wearing a hoodie is far more terrifying than a white person holding a large gun. A brown person kneeling during the national anthem is more disrespectful to the country than a white person waving a rebel flag (confederate flag). Brown kids lagging behind and and laughing at a college tour is way more scary than college kids with Tiki torches. One group was issued a permit on the campus while the other two were excused from the campus. Do you see the trend here?
Once upon a time the Bible was used to justify the mistreatment, abuse, and killing of black people. Hundreds of years later it's still happening to black and brown people, but now the Bible has been exchanged for "fear." Please stop using your "fear" as justification for racist and prejudice actions. Instead, just get to know some black and brown people.
Register Now for the Racism is Petty 5K Run/Walk and Virtual 5K! 100% of the proceeds will go to the Sickle Cell Association on Kentuckiana. If you are not in the Louisville area, don't worry! You can still participate in the virtual race. Just walk or run 3 miles wherever you are, time yourself, and send in your results. You'll still get a free race day t-shirt. Register here!
