Story by: Dakota Fisher, Sports Editor
For some, racism is a very difficult concept to grasp, and I am not entirely sure why.
Even as a privileged, middle-class, white woman, I see racism everywhere, even though I do not personally experience it. In no way is it possible for me, a privileged, middle-class, white woman to experience racism. Let me say it one more time, it is not possible for me, a privileged, middle-class, white woman to experience racism; however, that is not what this article is about.
Racism is everywhere. Literally everyone is racist to an extent because racism has become such a pivotal part of today’s society that it often goes unnoticed. Granted, just about everything is racist so it is hard not to be racist because we have gotten so used to accepting the racist things that happen every day. We simply disregard them as stereotypes and “it’s only a stereotype because it’s true” has become simply a camouflage for racist tendencies. It is important to recognize that prejudice is inherent in society and try to avoid it as much as possible.
Racism is about more than just not liking black people. Racism is the fact that it took 223 years to have a person of color in the White House. Racism is unlawful killing of people of color that receive little to no media attention, much like the death of Sandra Band in July of 2015. Racism is the fact that, according to the ACLU, black Americans are 20% more likely to experience police brutality. Racism is the fact that women of color make up to 63 cents to the dollar less than white men and 13 cents on the dollar less than white women.
Just because a white person has black friends, does not mean it is okay to say the n-word. Just because bindis are cool, does not mean they can be worn as a fashion accessory by someone of a different faith.
Everyone does racist things because we live in America, a country founded and deeply rooted in racism; for example, in 1964, some states required black voters to take literacy tests in order to vote. However, just because we grew up with this institutionalized racism does not mean that we need to conform to the set standards and expectations of racist America.