Traces of Racism
As we all know, the legislative acts of Abraham Lincoln's abolitionist themed government, the treaty after the Civil War, the thirteenth amendment, the marches led by Dr. Martin Luther King and President Lyndon Johnson's Civil Rights Act all should have publicly and legally ended racism in American society. However, as evident in this article, racism is still a very serious and threatening problem to American society and the fundamental values that this nation is based upon. The narrator in Invisible Man and Peekay in The Power of One have all seen or experienced racism in some shape or form. The Invisible Man lives in the United States during the early half of the twentieth century which is arguably a mere continuation of the Reconstruction period after the Civil War for blacks. Peekay grows up in South Africa during the mid-twentieth century where their society, culture, and government is shrouded by the Apartheid system.
A young male describes his life in modern American suburbia. Defying the stereotypes of bigoted humans, he lived in a nice house, was educated to the point where he could speak multiple languages and went to a well-off school, and despite what an intolerant person may say, he was actually (wait for it) well liked by his peers! Despite his experiences of success and enlightenment, he and so many others have grown up to learn and exhibit one thing: fear.
As a child, most of us are reminded to "share with the other kids", "color in between the lines", and to drink our milk at dinner. These children, however, are raised on a different set of guidelines. Their guidelines, unlike our whimsical ones, are the difference between life and death. At the age of six, most of us didn't even know what Miranda Rights were and actually trusted law enforcement officers. If it was cold, we were scolded if we did not but up our hood or put on a jacket. If we didn't know people, we were encouraged to make friends. The young African Americans today are taught to fear the police and not to provoke them, keep their hood down, and sometimes are forced into criminal gangs.
Today, after the movements from men like Mandela and King, you would think America (the beacon for liberty, freedom, and justice) would be a shining example of anti-racism. A nation that promotes democracy, freedom and other synonyms of that nature should not be hypocritical in these matters. I am appalled that so many children, especially in this great nation, are subject to unfair, dishonest, and inhumane treatment just because of their skin color to this day. It is up to us, not the government nor future generations, but us; to enforce the wills of our ancestors who have battled and lost their lives in the crusade for civil rights. This is our nation, our neighbors, our fellow countrymen, and therefore, our problem.
