Reflection About Unity

Rosa Parks once said “Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and hopefully, we shall overcome.” Racism is a struggle that, to this day, has continued to be a major issue. The color of someone’s skin alters how a person is perceived by society as a whole. Race is a social construct created by humans to categorize the world. (Sullivan 2) The outlook on racism varies from community to community, family to family, and even person to person. Skin color can alter all aspects of an individual’s life, because unlike inner differences and beliefs, skin color is a physical appearance. Social status, perceptions, roles, occupation are just a few of the characteristics of life which can be affected simply by a person’s physical differences. Not long ago somebody could even be discriminated against and their basic rights and freedoms could be altered based on their appearance. Many people believe that the United States is a colorblind nation or is tolerant of people 's race. Racism may go unnoticed by those who believe that it is a thing of the past, but to the people who are directly impacted by racism, it continues to be play a major role in today’s society.

When I was young I didn’t really realize the impact of being African-American until high school. I went to a predominately white school for elementary and middle school. I was just like any other youth. I had my group of friends who were white; I was active in school activities and clubs. I was a student athlete and I got along well with my teachers. Everyone saw me as an upbeat person with a bubbly personality. Surprisingly, race was never brought up it wasn’t an issue for me during that period of my life. However, as I got older I realize there was a difference. As an adult I could really see the prejudice in others. I recall working a on a special project for the

Unity is a key component for the future of America. People must respect each other's differences. It should not matter what one's race, religion, nationality or sexual preference is, because in

As a young child, I lived life colorblind, unable to grasp the concept of race or skin color. Growing up in Florida as the only Asian in my elementary school and never being bullied for being different, I assumed everyone was white, including me. But then came that earth-shattering epiphany: I realized I wasn’t white. I started to notice that not every supermarket sold Pocky or bubble tea and that it’s not common to get money in shiny, red envelopes on New Year’s. I realized that not everyone knew how to use chopsticks, that not everyone ate rice with every meal, and that when some people spoke slowly to me, it’s not because they were trying to articulate, but because they thought I didn’t understand English.

Since our nation has such diverse qualities and characteristics, you would think that everyone who lives in such a country, we would all come and stick together. With people who are so different, in so many different types of ways, being a united and unified nation would be knowledgeable. But instead our country consists of "people making strenuous efforts to group themselves with people who are basically like themselves" (Brooks 62). When taking a deeper look, and basically breaking down the nation piece by piece, we see segregation that happens to go unnoticed. There are neighborhoods that have a reputation for being where "African Americans live," “Asians Live," "Caucasians live," "Mexicans live" etc. which is not a good thing. People tend to not go out of their comfort zone and expand on what they are used to, to try new things, which is usually only

“If we have no common faith and are divided by morality and cultures, and are separated by ethnicity and race, what holds us together? Especially in light of Putnam’s report that ‘diversity’ dilutes ‘social capital’, erodes community, and engenders mutual mistrust.” (Buchanan 472)

During this time more than ever, African Americans are able to speak on subjects that can affect us in the future. Growing up, racial profiling was never a big deal to me or my family. I was taught to never judge someone by how they look but upon their actions. Ironic to think that is how one is taught to act but stereotypes are now bigger than ever right? Being a high school student I never payed much attention to anything outside of sports, academics and what crazy adventure me and my friends would be sucked into the upcoming weekend. I didn’t have an opinion when surveys asked if I felt that I wasn't being treated equally to my fellow American classmate with all the same qualities I held. Race itself was never something I viewed another

"What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness, but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice towards those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black."1

On my way into high school, I began to flourish mentally. I already knew who I was as a person and who I wanted to become. My environment, although it was negative, is what truly turned me into the person I remain today and the person I happen to be. The America we live in today still has some growing up to do. My eyes began to open the in the summer of 2012.My family decided to take a trip to Florida in the middle or racial mayhem. The Trayvon Martin case ravaged Florida and it seemed like every television channel and radio station was broadcasting some part of it. Street posts clasped in “Justice for Trayvon” posters and calls for George Zimmerman, his killer, to be jailed for racial profiling him and murdering the 17 year old. My child like

Before 9/11 I was a normal American boy. After 9/11 I was revoked of my title as an American and belittled to an immigrant. Growing up in the Seattle area I was never faced with racism until the incident took place. I was picked on due to the religious beliefs I held. I was forced to hide my religious identity that also cultivated my culture. From this early experience I saw how fragile the American society could be. Even though I had grown up amongst my peers, they no longer saw me as an equal. Being an African American and a Muslim made me see a unique view of the American society. As an African American I witnessed racism first hand. Working at the CenturyLink Stadium as a Muslim I was forced to hide who I truly was. Walking into a store

Modern America is known for freedoms so liberating and redeeming that the country has coined the name (epithet), “the land of opportunity.” Despite the wonderful characteristics previously mentioned, many believe America is in the midst of a racism epidemic. Although racism has been far more grave in the Country’s history, social media is dispersing racism like never before. As a white man in society I have never experienced the racial profiling and verbal harassments that many of my friends experience on a daily basis. This, while a privilege, should be an overarching “red flag” to society that there is a race issue in our country. The men and women of America should not be denied the rights and privileges of being an American due to the pigment in their skin. I have realized that the only true way to experience what more than twenty percent of the American population

Imagine the news headlines filled with nothing but people like you - same hair, skin, defining features - except all the headlines are filled with death. Death at the hands of people we are all taught to trust with our safety. This is how my 2015 summer had been. Days upon days of headlines with black people being killed by “peace” officers. As the list of names grew longer, it became apparent that there was no intention to protect the black community, instead, the public was being “protected” from us. Growing up in a community of minorities, I had come to believe that there was a sense of solidarity in our struggles. I was wrong in thinking our shared status meant unity. At the core of every marginalized community, is a sense of anti-blackness. This harsh realization happened during a class discussion when everyone was throwing into my face that ultimately my feelings and thoughts did matter. I was reminded that I was an other and I stood alone in this fight for my community.

even though it didn't occur overnight, i came to the understanding that instituationalization and public-reinforcement of race is very real in the United States. and that I didn't have to conform to one race because that is what society expects of me.

My background and demographic are aggressively average growing up in a small, rural community which there were few minorities and plenty of racism. It was normal to see truck covered in confederate flags and National Rifle Association stickers. My town was mostly blue collar workers and my parents owned and operated their own small business. Life moved slow and if you ran into someone you knew in Kroger and did not ask how their momma was doing it was considered rude. There were few, if any minorities in positions of power like local government and police officers. My views began to shift after I had seen how my school administration treated minorities. During one of my high school football games, our football rivals had made an offensive poster on the opposite

In all my years of ignoring and displacing my ethnicity it had hit me in the face like a ton of bricks. I was a young black woman, a member of one of the most fundamentally scorned racial subgroups, and I could either be the victim or the victor.