"The start of a revolution begins within each individual. Through acknowledgment consciousness and awareness of the issue."
Now more than ever people of color have every single right to be furious. Living in the 21st century we continually hear about how progressive we’ve become as a race. Legalizing gay rights, abortion, weed etc. However, as a national and global issue, racial inequality has seemed to have been hushed down and swept under the rug by our government and society, as stories of racial injustices no longer seem to take the spotlight in mainstream media. Within the past few days all of that has suddenly changed.
It is June 1st and it officially marks 1 week since George Floyd’s murder, yet ANOTHER black man who's life was senselessly stolen away due to the strong presence and passive acceptance of white supremacy and police brutality in the US. This recent event has seemed to light the fire under the assess of activists, millennials, and just about anyone who has empathy for other human beings. Ultimately leading us into what seems to be a great reawakening of the Black Lives Matter movement and personally marked as an event that has truly opened my eyes and mind for the better.
I never noticed my white privilege and nevertheless questioned it, until recently. Despite the fact that i’m 100% Puerto Rican, I grew up been told I could easily pass, or be mistaken for an 100% WHITE American female. My blonde hair light brown eyes and light skin essentially add up to making my physical being come across as ‘NON-THREATENING’ to authorities, officials, or any stranger that I may ever run into for that matter. This being said, I don’t feel as if I have the right to speak on behalf of people of color because it’s clear that I HAVE WHITE PRIVILEGE.
Since the happenings of May 25, 2020 I have also questioned and reflected on my thoughts in regards to racism, micro-aggressions, the injustices and inequalities still present in our society and prejudices that exist within me and around me. I have mainly reflected on MYSELF because I believe that this is the best place to start if we are seeking to create change in the world. We have to work on ourselves before we start informing and sparking up a revolution amongst others.
In light of the Black Lives Matters movement I was presented with this question on my Instagram feed: When did I become aware of my own race? I was around 8 years old. My father had made a passive remark which generalized black people. Of course when those words were spoken by my father, I was confused. Race wasn't a concept that my pre-adolescent brain could grasp let alone comprehend. Why would the color of our skin have any significance? or Change anything in terms of the way we perceive or treat one another? Now that I am 20 years old, my first instinct when I recall this memory is to brush it off as a harmless comment, or that my father didn’t truly mean what he had said. I would NEVER want to remember my father as a racist man. I don’t think anyone would. However, it’s time to step off my high horse and understand that this is exactly where bigger issues in terms of racism arise from. WE ARE NOT BORN RACISTS. Racism starts somewhere AND THIS IS IT. Comments and remarks made under our breath like the ones that came out of my father’s mouth should be instantly counteracted in an attempt to make the speaker question and reflect on their reasoning. Also, in efforts to understand where this behavior stems from and how to eventually bring it to an end. Regardless of whether this person is your friend, teacher, a stranger on public transport or a family member, THINGS NEED TO BE SAID. Having the conversation about racism is something that a coward would avoid and someone in search of a better humanity will bring up. The more we condone forget and excuse this behavior the more normalized it becomes, the more desensitized we become.
As a person who has white skin I am fully aware that we have the privilege to be able to choose to deflect and brush off these hurtful and damaging words that directly effect and target minorities. Essentially acting like their weight isn’t heavy and letting them fly off our shoulders. YOU are wrong, I WAS WRONG. Words turn into actions. The more we hear such disgraceful words the more we start to believe it, whether that be consciously or subconsciously. So why wouldn’t we do our best to stop this problem at its foundation. In doing so, perhaps in 50 years we won’t be sitting here wondering why history is repeating itself once again.
Lastly, as humans it is normal for our egos to get in the way of admitting our faults mistakes and errors. But this is an essential step we can EACH commit to in order to take responsibility and correct our instilled behaviors. Not only in ourselves but in the younger generations and the ones to come. The stigma in America around confronting racism comes directly from our country’s infamous and monstrous history and worry that we will be associated with it. There is no hiding that America was built on the brutal establishment of slavery. I say it’s time to get over our ourselves and our shame that we bury deep down. Because this is no longer about us. This has never BEEN about us. Enough is enough. We are all the same race.