Racism in Society

In fourth grade, my teacher taught us all about Martin Luther King, Jr. when MLK Day rolled around. I remember being so fascinated and loved hearing of this man who fought with words against white people. I was totally unaware of how serious the issue was, because I was only ten, and barely grasped the concept of hatred toward skin color. After all, there were several black children in my class and I was friends with them. Later I was at a swimming pool and saw a black family nearby. I informed my mother, rather loudly, that white people hated black people years ago, remembering what we had been taught. When she hushed me in the pool and told me I wasn't allowed to say stuff like that around other people, I think that was when I really understood how much racism affected our society. In two of our summer reading books, The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay, and The Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, racism is a huge issue presented. We look at both settings, one taking place in Africa, and another in a  populated city. Though vastly different, the two places greatly reflect racism. For example, we look at a jail in Africa, full of Prisoners of War and jail guards. Reading about the way the guards treat the African prisoners and the brutality the individuals must endure will send shivers down one's spine because of the descriptive imagery present in these scenes. On the opposite side of the spectrum, The Invisible Man establishes itself in the busy city of New York. We witness the narrators everlasting struggle of whether or not he should listen to advice he received from his grandfather about bending towards the will of the white man, which was an accurate portrayal of how much a black person struggled with identity when racism was so strong. Unfortunately, even though racism is technically illegal, it is still greatly present in our society today. The media has had several cases in which race is argued, such as the Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown cases. People are so worked up about race currently and I feel like it is always an excuse for the violence that happens. The stereotypes of a race should never define who a person is and every individual should be able to receive the same advantages and opportunities and wonderful things that life has to offer, without worrying about another person just because of a skin tone.