The Double Whammy |
I am the one percent. Last semester, a student asked me to take a photograph holding up my pointer finger. When I asked why, she had informed me that I represent the one percent of the students at Roger Williams University who is African American. In addition to being black, I am a woman. Women, although are the majority gender, are still treated as inferior. This blog serves as a tool to explain for my multiple identities, how they intertwine, and the damage of their (mis)representation in American media. |
Black American history consists of centuries of slavery and the fights against these injustices. People mistake America’s progression as a means claim racism in America is non-existent. Although racism is no longer acceptable on a societal level, that does not change the mind-frame of someone who is. Instead, racists avert from overt racism and instead, keep their feelings to themselves and others who they know to think like them. It is important to state that racism is not just about lynch mobs and calling black people niggers.
Due to this non-exposure to people of color, I believe that common misconceptions often lead to miscommunication. This leads to unfortunate incidents of racial insensitivity. Just recently, Mary J. Blige’s Burger King commercial was under fire for the perpetuation of the stereotype that black people love fried chicken.
“It’s not that bad anymore,” people claim.
Yet, my blog contains much more grave examples of recent occurrences that have jolted the black community such as the unlawful death of Rekia Boyd in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to that, was the well publicized case of Trayvon Martin. I refrained from referencing Trayvon because it is already pretty well known. Unfortunately, cases as these are far too common. If we live in an alleged “post-racial” society then why do instances (e.g. wrongful killings) still occur? Gloria Yamato, writer of “Something About the Subject Makes it Hard to Name,” suggests to combat racism, we as a society must first acknowledge it. Only then could we find our society in a better place in the case of race relations
