The Swamp logo

BLM & Pride

Make a difference.

By Annabeth BarberPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
Like

"Racism" is discrimination and antagonism directed at people for their ethnicity and the color of their skin. From the beginning of what we all learn in the history books, race has always been a factor in the way people treat each other. When the first tribes ran into each other, fought for the same food and land. Since then, there were movements, laws, laws were advised, white people hurt colored people, some white people fought for colored people, and people tried to bring attention of the real seriousness of the injustice of the actions of which were made. Still, in 2020, the US has a leader with an abominable vision and dastardly morals. People treat African Americans as some glitch in the creation of humans. THEY ARE HUMAN. BLACKS, BROWNS, and LIGHT BROWNS are all human. They do not deserve the cruelty of the racism from the privilege of everyone with white skin. People are being killed for having darker skin. They are scarred from surviving slavery, abuse, sex trafficking, poverty, the way people treat and even look at them. I myself am not of color; I am white, and for that I have a privilege most of my peers at the University, my neighbors in my apartment complex, my family members, and my friends do not have. Everyone is so easy to jump at the fact that my life matters. It is crazy how someone will tell me my life matters and my best friends does not solely because she is black. I cannot see it that way; I would give my life for my friend of color rather than someone kill them because they don't look like me. All lives do not matter until black lives matter. Acceptance is something people struggle with when it comes to acknowledging they have a problem or when something they don't understand has entered their their in some way. But as humans, we are capable of much more than we know. The way we accept love and care from our family is the way we should accept anything/anyone else. People are afraid. They judge and treat my friends as if they are dangerous. Furthermore, my colored friends who are gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, etc. These people are also being shamed and punished for being a person who feels and are different from what society set as our default, our "normal." The way the world has progressed for the people of color, isn't the leap they need from the road they have been traveling down. WE CAN DO BETTER. It is a shock of how many ways a person can "justify" their racism. During the 16th and 17th century they used religion as a justification for racism, in the 19th century, they used science/social science. BY 1915, Inter-racial marriage was illegal. They used to kill/punish black people for acting outside of their orders of their white slave-owners, for falling for a white person or trying to protect each other. Today, they are still being killed by the protection they are supposed to have by law. Hate is NOT okay. It is STILL a difficult time for our friends of color when it should be so much better for them. Take a stand. Speak up. Educate yourself. Decide if you are the one to sit on the side lines while people are being murdered for no other reason than the color of their skin, or if you are the one who will stand and fight against what is happening to them and try to change this world so they can get the treatment they deserve, the same treatment you have as a privileged person. And if you are a person of color, one day, this world will be as safe for you as it is for me, and I will help you fight the obstruction of this world into the day you can truly say you are treated the way you should be. You ARE making a difference. We WILL change the world.

activism
Like

About the Creator

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.