Miscegenation

Passing: A Continuing Reality In 2015, racial passing still goes on in this day and age. A woman’s 62 year-old brother’s adult child is “passing.” Racial passing occurs when a person classified as a member of one racial group is also accepted as a member of another racial group. Generally, “passing” is done to make a person’s life easier. However, the sense of loss may not be understood. Her nephew is of mixed racial ancestry, African-American and Caucasian. His parents were still in high…

Oppressed people need to set themselves apart from the rest - they need to realize that being different does not make them any less of a human being, or less fortunate. When oppressed people come to terms with this, they will be able to reflect this to others and not settle for what “has always been”, but rather pride themselves in their distinction, and take steps towards making a difference. In “Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders”, Brent Staples shares a personal experience on how he had to…

In Rebecca Skloot’s book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, racial stereotyping against minority patients is predominant in every aspect of health care. Many of these stereotypes in Skloot’s book painted blacks as unintelligent and vulnerable and led to many doctors taking advantage of their patients. Henrietta Lacks was one of these patients and unfortunately doctors made millions off of her cancerous cervix cells without her informed consent. Her cells, named HeLa cells, helped cure the…

Is racism still alive on college campuses? You might think it is not, but the reality says that it does exist in many colleges. Incidents of racism, ranging from calling name to physical abuse, have increased in the last few years. According to the Department of Education, the number of racial complaints reported on college campuses “has increased from 555 in 2009 to 939 last year” (Quijano). One of the most recent racist incidents is the racist chant that happened at the University of Oklahoma.…

Shedding Color As I grew into the young woman I am today, I faced many challenges that my Caucasian counterparts have not. The melanin in my skin has acted like a beacon for harsh jokes and inappropriate comments from my peers, and on some occasions, even adults. I began to see the effects of being black in the young stages of my life, for I was one of three African-American students at my school from preschool nearly until I started high school. The United States of America is nicknamed “the…

Happiness is something that everyone wants to have. However the road to attaining happiness is filled with obstacles. In Djanet Sears 's Harlem Duet and Lorraine Hansberry 's A Raisin in the Sun, Othello and Walter both struggle to find happiness due to their race, and their fragile sense of masculinity. In the end, Walter is able to overcome those obstacles while Othello succumbs to them. One factor that hinders Othello and Walter 's ability to find happiness is their race. In Sear 's Harlem…

In America today there is a lot of controversy that surrounds those who identify as black. Majority of our American media outlets displays blackness in a negative manner. Black people are stereotyped as being uneducated, dependent, violent, and many other characteristics that makes our race appear inferior. For every negative comment mentioned in the media about what it means to be black I can reply with two positive comments because my point of view of blackness greatly differs from the media.…

When looking at the past or reading a fiction book, people ask the question, “How does it relate to our life today.” That’s a fantastic question and also there is a fantastic answer. For example this can be noticed in the book Les Miserables. Black lives matter movement came about after three women started twitting on social media regarding the shooting of Treyvon Martin. Then singer Beyoncé is only one of a few artist that have joined the black lives matter movement, to highlight black…

As times have evolve, stories regarding the struggles of many minority athletes have been used to motivate different sports teams. Football players watch Remember the Titans to realize the power of selflessness while being on a team, while basketball players might watch Coach Carter to remind a team that practice makes perfect. However, many that view these movies fail to realize that as much as directors and producers try to accurately portray these stories of hardships and overcoming adversity…

“The worst mistake of first contact, made throughout history by individuals on both sides of every new encounter, has been the unfortunate habit of making assumptions. It often proved fatal.”-David Brin. Get both sides of the story. Have you heard that before? Growing up I’ve heard it countless times. It seemed like I heard it all the time from teachers and my parents. See I jump to conclusions in movies I watch, books and especially in life. I jump to assumptions and I don’t think things…