Despite what the media or the people around you may say, racism is as prevalent today as it was in the 1950s.
If you look beyond the superficial layer of tolerance that many countries display where people of colour (POC) interact seamlessly with white people, the utterly disgusting prejudice that lies beneath suddenly becomes a blaring orange light.
Whether it’s from the small but significant wage difference, or the blatantly obvious injustice occurring in America right now, RACISM IS REAL.
I’ve seen a lot of comments, all which seem to float around the idea that: “Racism isn't as serious an issue as people make it to be. Stop going on about something that's not relevant anymore."
Right. Not relevant.
Let’s look at the facts, shall we?
Billions of people around the world have been subject to the horrific, and often violent, actions of people based solely because they held a different skin tone. I myself, amongst them.
Millions of people in America are paid a lower wage because of their skin tone or their heritage; because of where they come from and what they look like.
A Cherrios commercial on American TV depicting a mixed race family with a white mother and a black father caused OUTRAGE amongst white people because “you’re polluting the minds of our children”.
So let me ask again, is racism REALLY not relevant?
No?
Well, tell that to the 18 year old, Mike Brown, who was shot six times because a police officer thought he’d robbed a store, despite having held his arms up in surrender.
Tell that to the fact that his murderer is now walking FREE with $400,000 having been donated to him for having killed a Black Teenager.
Tell that to the fact that when someone rang up 911 to report an incident, they were asked TWICE whether the person in danger was WHITE or BLACK.
Tell that to the fact that a white football star was allowed to return to school with no charges laid against him after he violently raped a girl and posted it online for the world to see, yet when a 12 year old boy was found paying with a toy gun, he too was killed.
Tell that to the people who have had their lives torn apart because America struggles to keep their own people under control.
Tell that to the fact that “racism is not real” but “reverse racism is a fact”.
Welcome to a world where despite our history, we don’t seem to learn and instead repeat actions of the past hoping for a different outcome (which is the definition of insanity).
Welcome to the 21st Century where people form the future will look back and say: fuck, I’m glad I wasn't alive back then.
Welcome to a world where when a white man goes on a shooting rampage, it’s associated with a mental illness and he is sympathised with; where a black man accused of killing a police dog is faced with 35 years of imprisonment but a white man who killed an innocent 18 year old boy is allowed to walk free.
Welcome to racism.
