Throughout February, The African-American History Month Committee hosted a contest for students to write essays focusing on the modern struggles of African-Americans.
Today, The Wright Times is proud to present the Winners and Honorable mentions:
FIRST PLACE
Who Matters?
By Uriel Saldivar
Referred to as the land of freedom and equality, America remains oblivious to the fact that racism is alive and present today, despite decades of American minorities fighting segregation and promoting civil rights. While the equality struggle in minority communities has always challenged institutionalized racism, today this culminates into ending the devaluation of minority lives. Therefore, if America wants to live up to its ideals, this nation, born of people from all walks of life, must unite and recognize that every life matters.
Racism is not innate. It can only be learned from those within our social constructs, such as family. In Debra V. Ausdale’s 2001 sociological study, The First R: How Children Learn Race and Racism, she researches how children in a diverse preschool apply racial understanding in their social interactions. During the study, Ausdale finds that Carla, a three-year-old white student, refuses to nap next to Nicole, a four-year-old black student, because she believes “niggers are stinky” (80). In addition, Ausdale finds that children use skin color to determine who they play with. They learn these behaviors from their families, and as they grow, so too will their prejudiced beliefs, which will be implemented in broader society.
Institutionalized racism, or racism in social and political institutions, endangers the minority groups which these institutions are meant to serve. At its worst, parts of the criminal justice system, such as law enforcement, will brutalize minorities based off prejudiced notions of minority behavior. In November 2014, white Cleveland officer, Timothy Loehmann, responded to a call reporting a black individual waving a gun near a recreation center. Without warning and within one second of stepping out of his vehicle, officer Loehmann had shot the suspect, black 12-year-old, Tamir Rice (chicagotribune.com).
This tragedy is a result of a system that incarcerates African Americans at almost six times the rate of whites, giving officers the impression that minorities are an inherently criminal group (naacp.org). These officers will then go on patrol, continuing this systematic cycle of injustice because it is what they have come to learn.
Although a complicated task, the most effective way to address racism in America is to change how media is presented, while using it as a torch to shed light on the injustices minorities face every day. The average American spent about 15 and a half hours a day consuming media in 2015, making it is the most effective means of reaching out to the masses (Short). With such influence, media must cease to normalize and over represent the criminal behavior of minorities, while presenting crime committed by whites as rare and unusual, when really, the latter accounts for 69.4% of all crime in 2014 (fbi.gov). This will not only decrease racist notions that whites are the most law abiding group and minorities the most criminal, but it will stop Americans from believing that police brutality is warranted on minorities, but controversial on whites. Furthermore, using media as a way to empower movements such as “Black Lives Matter,” who shed light on the devaluation of those of color and cases such as Tamir Rice’s, will ensure that minority communities continue to be heard and police brutality is not left unchallenged.
America prides itself as a nation of equality and justice. However, many Americans continue to be devalued and brutalized for the color of their skin. By using the media and its power, America can stop the teaching of racism and prejudiced views. Minorities should no longer live in fear at the mercy of their fellow country men.
For this reason, America must unite and realize it should no longer judge its people “by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” (King). Only then, will this country truly remain indivisible with justice for all.
SECOND PLACE
Racism and Police Brutality
By Marisol Lay
“Can we all get along?” These were the words uttered by Rodney King, the victim of a videotaped incidence of police brutality in 1991, during a press conference on May 1, 1992. (Can We All Just Get Along? For The Kids & Old People? RODNEY KING SPEAKS! , YouTube.)
For most Americans getting along means to work together for the greater good, and in turn to work towards creating a more opportunistic, harmonious, and fair country. However, for many people of color, this reality cannot be achieved because they are the “smaller part of a larger group” also known as, a minority. (Merriam Webster Dictionary) and thoughtless as within everyday social interactions and most importantly, within federal and state laws. Why is this? Racism.
Racism, in short, is the poor treatment of or violence against people because of their race
(Merriam Webster Dictionary) and this practice maintains the system of oppression that allows police brutality against minorities, and the use of the American legal system to persecute people of color (POC) at exponentially higher rates than their White counterparts. In order to create a legal system of justice, security of civil rights, and for all citizens of the United States, Americans must begin to think of the human race and not ancestral lineage.
THIRD PLACE
The Unique-ness of All Individuals
By Amanda Jiang
Open your eyes and look around: there are artists of different skin colors, scientists of various personalities, and dreamers that live their own unique lives. Although they may look different from us, we are all, nevertheless, breathing the same air and capable of feeling the same emotions. Our lives are defined by diversity; we are not clones of each other. However, there are many people who are indifferent to this thought. The formation of inequality rises from lack of understanding and non-acceptance of differences between human beings. We are capable of seeing others as different individuals, but instead of treating everyone with respect, many choose to treat others with disdain, thus resulting in certain ones becoming racists. The act of not embracing the uniqueness of all individuals triggers the rise of injustice and tragedy, the continuous suffering of innocent beings.
The difference between two individuals is boundless. Skin colors and body shapes are only a mere fragment of such contrast. Inside our minds are particles of dreams and an ocean of memories that shape our thoughts and personalities. Everyone has his or her own tale to tell, having suffered pain and having once found happiness. We may not live the same lives, but that does not mean one life is more significant than others. Our immeasurable lives revolve around the endless possibilities of this world. A sign of how many people are still not capable of embracing differences is the existence of police brutality towards African Americans. Murders, lynching, torture— African American suffered all. Even though it has been over a century since the battle of the Civil War, racism still remains causing damage to many lives. There are people who can tell the exterior difference between themselves and others, but they view the dissimilarity with negativity. The racist ones define black skin as hideous and let the prejudgment cloud their mind. The video of Rodney Glen King III getting beaten by white police officers, the murdering case of nineteen-year-old Kendrec McDade, the brutal beating of innocent fifteen-year-old Chad Holley- these are pieces of evidence that prove that the result of being indifferent to embracing equality is the emergence of both pain and neglect.
The failure to view every being as unique individuals of importance can bring suffering to this world. Parents should not only teach their children to acknowledge the similarities between themselves and others; they should also teach them the greatness of a diverse community. It is through being different that the society is advancing, as different minds work together to create new inventions. It is through cultural diversity that all our lives are fruitful and interesting. It is the inspirations that come from various human lives that keep us moving forward into the bright future.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Black Lives Matter Essay
Azuka Okasili
The idea of change is an insurmountable idea buried in the call of necessity. So often we find ourselves as Americans on the wrong side of change that the blunt truth becomes not just a spurned offering, but treated like the antithesis of auspiciousness that pride is built on. The call for “Black Lives Matter” is for change, and rooted in the unambiguous detailed nuances of life. The fact that there are no true black or white people but shades of people that represents these cultural identity markers is ignored. The U.S. census dose not categorize any other ethnicities to color but two cultures. Racism is present in the chess match of the culture that being labeled black and white creates. "Black Lives Matters" to the point that the psychology of "White Privilege" exist. The way America deals with its’ prejudices created “Black Lives Matter”.
Since racism is rooted in indolence, the stereotypes of hard working African Americans outside of slavery is a culture shock. Even further than stereotypes, the treatment of white criminals in a stigmatized society is audacious. Raising the next generation where in April 2015, the criminalization of 50-year-old Walter Scott, who was gunned down by North Charleston police officer Michael Slanger is unavailing to the progress that is the definition of the civil rights movement. Later in the year, in June 2015, 21-year-old Dylann Roof orchestrates a mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. At the church, Dylann murdered 9 people and wounded 1, successfully making it to his arraignment to face 33 years’ imprisonment or death row.
Roof’s support of the confederate flag validated America’s connotation of holding on to offensive customs. The confederate flag became a way to support the criminalizing of African Americans. A sub-culture that was created in 1865 found new ways of existing. A culture that has been protected and continued in the different forms to where the L. A. police start busing in former Klan’s member to be police officers. This caused the L. A. riots, in a long chain of events that stands out amongst media coverage. That is why “Black Lives Matter”. Unfortunately to say "Black Lives Matters" is to impose "White Guilt", or "Special Treatment" is the culture of most African American in America are subjected to. “Black Lives Matter” is about everyone’s ability to call the police and to feel safe.
Children are raised in a culture where someone’s heritage is subservient and incapable of being anything other than what was allowed of them. Furthermore, today’s psychology of being raised to over compensate against that reality, that "Black Lives Matters", has created an obscured reality for some. Being psychologically profiled by style along with physical policing over wealth provides the environment that breeds "Black Lives Matter". Some would argue that Trayvon Martin knew that wearing a hoodie would get him profiled as a criminal. The criminalization of Eric Garner is not only in race but his size. Eric Garner died selling lose cigarettes screaming “I can’t breathe”. The police justified the force used to subdue Eric Garner because of his stature, while chokeholds are illegal they felt justified in using it.
“Black Lives Matter” is not an attack on union and privilege, but another chapter in America’s history. As Americans we all must unite under the truth no matter what. "Black Lives Matter" exists because the institutional racism that is in contrast to terms like "White Privilege" which existence is out of acknowledgement of the lack of society pressure. “Black Lives Matter” birthed from ignorance that came about after the not guilty verdict of the Zimmerman trail, rooted in the idea of sayings like “no child left behind” or “it takes a village”. Langston Hughes said, "I will not take 'but' for an answer", the criminalization and discrimination of African Americans created the necessity for Americans to say "Black Lives Matter". “Black Lives Matter’s” connection to “Hands Up Don’t Shot” and “I Can’t Breathe” is not because it is one group of people in need of attention. “Black Lives Matter” is not a superfluous fashion statement, it is a rally call for action and support. “Black Lives Matter” because of what happened to Sandra Bland. “Black Lives Matter” because Tamir Rice never got justice. “Black Lives Matter”.
All Lives Matter vs. Black Lives Matter
Tatiana De La Cruz
The most urgent problem between the “Black Lives Matter Movement” and the “All Lives Matter” statement is the fact that people are ignoring the true crisis; my opinion is based on Tyler Huckabee stating that, “By continuing to use “All Lives Matter” to drown the cry of “Black Lives Matter,” The real problems the movement is trying to address are being ignored. This statement is evidence of that it's not wrong that all lives letter because they do but it's just unhelpful to the crisis at hand. This essay addresses why it is important for us to consider using the correct term “Black Lives Matter” because it is unfair to use “All Lives Matter.” It’s not that what they are saying isn’t accurate but it isn’t relevant to the problems that the “Black Lives Matter Movement” is trying to get fixed. It’s all a charade to try to just brush the actual crisis under the rug. “All Lives Matter” is pointless, damaging, and upsetting. We need to omit the saying “All Lives Matter” and start using “Black Lives Matter.”
There is a lot of arguments around the “Black Lives Matter Movement” mainly because there are people are using “All Lives Matter” just to make things “fair” when in reality it is just a distraction from the actual problem that the “Black Lives Matter” movement is trying to focus on. It’s not that using “All Lives Matter” isn’t right, but it isn’t relevant to the problems that the “Black Lives Matter” movement is trying to fix. In my opinion, “All Lives Matter” isn’t equal to “Black Lives Matter;” because of this, “All Lives Matter” is pointless, damaging, and upsetting.
As stated in the article, the problem with saying “All Lives Matter” is that is isn’t really fair or relevant to “Black Lives Matter,” considering Tyler’s statistics, we might as well begin with pre-school (http://www.npr.org, 2014). Black children make up 18 percent of America’s preschool population, but represent nearly half of all out-of-school suspensions (http://www.npr.org, 2014). This treatment continues into the court system, where black children are 18 times more likely to be tried as adults (Goff) than their white peers. It also extends to the job market, in which white college graduates are twice as likely to land a job as black college graduates. We haven’t even gotten to the justice system yet, in which black people are given 20 percent longer sentences (Project, 2013) than white people are for the same crimes (Huckabee, 2015).
There is no clear solution to racism due to the fact that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. In my opinion, it is disrespectful and hurtful to use the term “All Lives Matter” because just because it is “fair” doesn’t mean it justifies the fact that black lives do matter. The “Black lives Matter” movement is all about bringing up racism that no one wants to face; it is our job to actually understand why “Black Lives Matter” is such a serious problem that society needs to face.
If nothing is done about this problem, it will continue to happen and people will continue to disrespect the families of people who are killed or bullied due to racism. Walk-outs and sit-ins will happen. Eventually, everyone will get more and more violent to not only each other, but to the government as well.