I Am Too Far North Essay

As an Afro-Latina, race and gender issues are important to me and have a massive impact on many decisions in my life. Fortunately, I have been blessed with two loving parents who taught me to love my roots and not to be ashamed of whom I am. My parents have taught me about cultural icons such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes & Frida Kahlo. However, during these passed two years police brutality, racial tension, and gender issues have been hot topics in the media. Being a Massachusetts resident, I have always been taught that I am “too far north” for racism or sexism to affect me as it does many southerners. An incident occurring in my high school this year proved this teaching erroneous. No one is “too far north” to escape racial prejudice. This summer I, with the help of many other …show more content…
Never before had I ever had to ‘go against the grain’ or stand up against a higher authority. I gained an even greater respect and appreciation for the rights we have as Americans. In many other countries, I would not have had the right or the resources to reach out to senators and organizations and demand action from my school. Most importantly, I learned that I cannot allow injustice to happen. I owe it to myself and to my fellow Americans to make this world a better place than when I entered it. If I had the option of reliving this experience despite the level of difficulty of my decision, I would do the same thing. Racial prejudice does exist whether you live in the south or the north and can diminish the dreams and aspirations of any one that is targeted. Racial prejudices cannot exist in the main institution designed to educate today’s youth about the historical inequities but to promote understanding and acceptance of our differences. America’s great educational opportunities do not deserve to be clouded and tainted by harmful educators such as the teacher and sports coach of my