Racism is something that seems inescapable, from slavery hundreds of years ago, to the multiple police shootings of innocent black people in today’s society. Racism comes in many forms; it is not always in the form of killing an innocent person because of the color of their skin, but in little everyday remarks people say that they think is a joke. A remark that one person said to me that I will never forget is that I am pretty but I would be prettier if I was white. That comment really affected me because I was young at the time and did not have very high self-esteem; it made me feel as though my skin color was too dark and that white women were prettier than black women; for a few years I felt this way. I now know that this is not true but
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They was all drunk, and when they seen your father's brother they let out a great whoop and holler and they aimed the car straight at him… By the time he jumped it was too late. Your father says he heard his brother scream when the car rolled over him, and he heard the wood of that guitar when it give, and he heard them strings go flying, and he heard them white men shouting, and the car kept on a-going and it ain't stopped till this day” (pg.9). To me, this quote shows the horrible way black people were treated by white people years ago; back then many white people did not have respect for the lives of black people. Minorities faced segregation in schools and stores, they faced slavery and police brutality, yet they have fought for equal rights. Today many minorities are in a position of power; they are business owners, doctors, scientist and engineers. This shows that there is resilience and knowledge within the communities that had to face racism. They work hard to make a better future for themselves and did not let their past hold them …show more content…
He writes about the killing that happened in the black community and about how racial tension is truly a problem in America. “Between the World and Me” is a very powerful book by Ta-Nehisi Coates and he states “I am writing you because this was the year you saw Eric Garner choked to death for selling cigarettes; because you know now that Renisha McBride was shot for seeking help, that John Crawford was shot down for browsing in a department store. And you have seen men in uniform drive by and murder Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old child whom they were oath-bound to protect. And you know now, if you did not before, that the police departments of your country have been endowed with the authority to destroy your body. It does not matter if the destruction is the result of an unfortunate overreaction. It does not matter if it originates in a misunderstanding. It does not matter if the destruction springs from a foolish policy. Sell cigarettes without the proper authority and your body can be destroyed. Turn into a dark stairwell and your body can be destroyed. The destroyers will rarely be held accountable. Mostly they will receive pensions.” (Coates 2015). This passage was especially difficult for me to read, it made me feel sad, confused, upset and very emotional. I felt almost helpless while reading the passage because I hated reading about all the deaths but there is nothing I
They was all drunk, and when they seen your father's brother they let out a great whoop and holler and they aimed the car straight at him… By the time he jumped it was too late. Your father says he heard his brother scream when the car rolled over him, and he heard the wood of that guitar when it give, and he heard them strings go flying, and he heard them white men shouting, and the car kept on a-going and it ain't stopped till this day” (pg.9). To me, this quote shows the horrible way black people were treated by white people years ago; back then many white people did not have respect for the lives of black people. Minorities faced segregation in schools and stores, they faced slavery and police brutality, yet they have fought for equal rights. Today many minorities are in a position of power; they are business owners, doctors, scientist and engineers. This shows that there is resilience and knowledge within the communities that had to face racism. They work hard to make a better future for themselves and did not let their past hold them …show more content…
He writes about the killing that happened in the black community and about how racial tension is truly a problem in America. “Between the World and Me” is a very powerful book by Ta-Nehisi Coates and he states “I am writing you because this was the year you saw Eric Garner choked to death for selling cigarettes; because you know now that Renisha McBride was shot for seeking help, that John Crawford was shot down for browsing in a department store. And you have seen men in uniform drive by and murder Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old child whom they were oath-bound to protect. And you know now, if you did not before, that the police departments of your country have been endowed with the authority to destroy your body. It does not matter if the destruction is the result of an unfortunate overreaction. It does not matter if it originates in a misunderstanding. It does not matter if the destruction springs from a foolish policy. Sell cigarettes without the proper authority and your body can be destroyed. Turn into a dark stairwell and your body can be destroyed. The destroyers will rarely be held accountable. Mostly they will receive pensions.” (Coates 2015). This passage was especially difficult for me to read, it made me feel sad, confused, upset and very emotional. I felt almost helpless while reading the passage because I hated reading about all the deaths but there is nothing I