Skip to main content

IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO TACKLE THE BIG ISSUE OF RACISM, THERE ARE OTHER SMALL ISSUES RACIAL DISCRIMINATION THAT KILL PEOPLE OF COLOR SLOWLY DAILY

Over the years, I have written about racial inequality I have experienced as a person of color in North America (not just US, but also in Canada, though most of my bad experiences have been in the US), and many of my African friends abroad that responded wondered what I was talking about. This speaks volume - until a critical mass (until we saw a caucasian policeman literally snuffed life out of a helpless black man) was reached even people who look like me could not empathize. I know African immigrants in the US who blame African Americans for their woes and I tell them, you came here from a free country as an educated person, you do not carry the stigma that these people have carried from birth, and have not witnessed racial injustice of seeing your father, auntie, brother, uncle shut off from the society because they rebelled, because they could not access the wealth of the land they live, they rebelled and some live a life of crime.

We did not have to reach a critical mass to have this uprising if people could empathize and just look at an issue from other people's eye. There are so many minor issues of racial discrimination that people of color face on a daily basis in the West (not just America) that kill them gradually - the treatment of "you are not good enough", "you do not belong here", "my eyes are on you", "I think you are a thief", "I did not know you are capable of that", "so you can write so well", "are you not the cleaner", "why are you are angry", "why can't you pull yourself up from off your poverty state - with their legs on their necks - how can they", etc. that leads to mental torture, frustration and anger. I speak from experience. I can write an epistle on my experiences at my current place of work and churches I have worshiped in the US. Here is one story:

Few years ago, I joined a group at church, there is this guy that is friendly with everyone. He holds a leadership position within the group. He was curious about me and quite friendly too. He invited me to lunch once and was asking me all kind of questions. Then every now and then, he would see me and hold two fingers to his eyes and point them at me (which typically means, "my eyes are on you"). I was the only one he was doing this to in a group where only two of us are of African descent. He did it for a year, I did not say anything. When this continued, one day when he did it again, I have had enough and I said to him "that is not nice". I did not say more than this, from that moment on, this guy's attitude changed towards me - he would avoid me, he would not want to say hello when he sees me, he saw me in a store thereafter with my son and he acted like a stranger. So, a month after this incident, I called him aside and asked him why he would do that to me. Do you know his response, "I am not that kind of person". What kind of a person I thought, I did not accuse him of anything other than telling him his behavior is unbecoming. Apparently, he could interpret his racist act when he was passively confronted and did what a typical caucasian person would do or say, "I am not a racist". This is a predominantly caucasian church, many do not understand what you as a person of color is doing among them other looking for handout. This guy knew I am a professor, he still could not hold himself back from telling me he is watching me. African Americans are followed around when they go to store as if they will steal (Obama was, Oprah has had her share). Some caucasian churchgoers move away from you or keep a closer eye on their bag if you sit near them in church (I have experienced this in almost every church I went to in the US).

It is not enough to address racial injustice in America's law enforcement and judiciary system, it must be dealt with at every level and in every facet of life at the micro-scale. You would think the church is a place you are safe from racial treatment, unfortunately, it is not, it is a microcosm of the society we live.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ISE L'OGUN ISE (WORK IS THE PANACEA TO POVERTY)

Ise ni ogun ise (Work is the panacea to poverty) mura si ise ore mi (Be conscientious my friend in your work) ise ni a fi n di eni giga (Through hard work can we excel) ti a ko ba ri eni feyintin (If there is none to create a pathway to the top for you) bi ole la n ri (It is as if we are lazy) ti a ko ba ri eni gbekele (If there is no one to be your mentor and godfather) a tera mo ise eni, (Work harder then, don't give up, innovate, there is dignity in labor, a way will open up for you soon) Iya re le l'owo (Your mom may be super rich) Baba re le l’esin lekan (You dad could have real estate in choice places) T’oba gbo’ju le won o te tan ni mo so fun oh (If you trust in their riches, your shame is around the corner) Ohun aho j’iya fun kii t’ojo (What you did not labor often does not last, because you might not value them) Ohun ta ba s’ise fun nii pe l’owo eni (It is what you work for that becomes a treasure) Apa lara, Igunpa niye kan (Arms are your fam...
Post a Comment
Read more

THERE IS A SHORT WINDOW FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, CONCERNED PARTIES SHOULD GRAB IT WITH BOTH HANDS

Exactly a year today, the terror organization Hamas struck terror in the hearts of Israelis. Over 1200, mostly innocent people were murdered in cold blood in the most barbaric way. The evil wrecked by Hamas reminds us of the evil we are capable of as humans if we think there will not be any form of accountability. The attack is condemned in all of its forms. Such should never happen again. My heart goes out to families mourning dead family members, and those still waiting for their families taken hostage to return to them alive.   Since then, the Israeli army has unleashed terror of their own on Hamas, in the process killing so many innocent Palestinians in an attempt to exterminate Hamas, and their own terror continues, mostly on innocent Palestinians. Israel engaged in what some called genocide by cutting off water, food, power, internet, and major resources to over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza. The world has condemned the way Israel is prosecuting the war because they have bee...
Post a Comment
Read more

When you discover the wisdom of the universe, it is as if...

When you locate the wisdom of the universe, it would be as if you have a magic wand... Your prosperity rolls over, you climb to the top faster and leave many behind... Funke Akindele's movie, "A tribe called Judah" remains the highest-grossing movie in Nollywood (Nigeria's movie industry). I saw the movie last week and could not make head or tail of it.. But something was unique about it. It was the first Nigerian movie that cast MANY actors from all the major ethnic groups in the nation.. These are top actors... For so long, Nollywood has been divided along ethnic lines... You have the Yorubas doing their thing, the Igbos doing their own and our brothers in the North, the Hausas doing their own. But this movie cast actors from everywhere, so, it became a must-see for almost all Nigerians ... Funke Akindele is a talented writer, actor, and producer. But she is also a shrewd businesswoman. She located the wisdom in tapping the talent of diverse ethnic groups in Nigeria...
Post a Comment
Read more