Racism

This week I have chosen to blog about racism. Growing up in the Deep South, I have always known that racism existed. I grew up in a relatively small town in Mississippi that is predominantly African American. There was a "Black" side of town and a "White" side. The school district was and still is mostly Black with the exception of a small Latino population that has moved to the town. The White in my people who live in my hometown go to a private school. I often wondered why this was the case when I was a child. I would always hear people say that the White children didn't want to go to school with us. I was always taught that everybody was created equal. Therefore, I just couldn't understand why they didn't want to go to school with us or why we weren't welcome to go to school with them. My first real encounter with racism was when I was in the 9th grade. I was sitting in the car waiting on my brother to get done playing football. An elderly White lady walked through the parking lot with her husband. She said, "The niggers have taken over." I was so shocked because I had never heard anyone use that word except for on television. My parents had always taught me about the history behind that word. I sat in the car and began to cry. When my mom came to the car, she wanted to know what was wrong with me. I sobbed as I told her what had just happened. I wanted to know why that lady hated me when she didn't even know who I was. I took her comment very personally. It was something that haunted for me for a very long time. I still think about it although that it happened almost 15 years ago. That lady changed my life that night without even knowing it. I was determined to prove that I belonged here just like anybody else. I shouldn't have had to do that. I learned to always be mindful of what I say. Words are more powerful than we may think. I long for the day when we can treat each other with dignity and respect because we are all apart of the human race.

A few weeks ago there was a riot that broke out at the University of Mississippi(Ole Miss). This riot occurred after the election of President Obama. Students burned signs of the president and acted in a very disrespectful manner. I found this to be heartbreaking. When I watched the news, it looked like a scene from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. I found it hard to believe that this kind of hatred still exists in 2012. This happened on the campus of an institution of higher learning. It is sad that people feel like this, but it is especially sad to see young people behaving in such a manner. I can't but think that they had to be taught this racism and hatred towards other human beings. A few years ago, the Ku Klux Klan marched in my hometown. I feel that Mississippi is a place that has changed some, but we have a long way to go. Racism definitely still exists here. I know that children are affected by racism everyday. One way that children are affected by racism is in the schools here in Mississippi. The districts with the most money are predominantly White. The poorest districts are predominantly Black. My husband teaches in one of the poorest school districts in our states. He often tells me about how his students feel inferior to the children who live and go to school in better districts because their facilities are nowhere near as good. In this situation, racism and poverty go hand in hand. My husband says that he goes in everyday trying to inspire his students and let them know that they are just as good as anyone else. Racism can definitely have an impact on the cognitive, biosocial, and psychosocial development.