When you think black, do you attribute it to negative things? Well most people will term it racism, but unlike most people, I wish to call it individual differences.
Those who are good with their history are familiar with the popular Martin Luther "I have a dream quote". The dream does not stem from a myopic, racism filled heart, it stems from the desire to unite all men together as men.
People who usually despise a thing so much because they feel better than it, most times they are simply scared of it.
Is black simply a color or more than a color
I remember one of my experiences in the University back then, there were some lecturers who were expatriates that were hired to teach some courses. There was a day when I met one of them at a store and sat close to him (being the only seat available), I remember him using his elbow to nudge me to give him more room.
It would have ended there if he didn't literally tell me to stand and and give him room because he didn't like "we" people touching him.
I had heard that he was fond of that and had done that to other people, but my experience that day made me understand why the chair beside him was usually empty at that store.
People believe racism is a disease, that mentality is wrong if we are to cure it. There are some diseases out there that lack a cure. The truth is that it is a mentality, and if we view it simply as a mentality, only then can we see a solution to it.
I saw a movie one time (I guess it was fictional), about a professional boxer during the Hitler era,he had a match up with a fellow boxer who was black and the whole country was watching.
He won the black boxer and was celebrated like a hero and the president himself even came out to give him the famous presidential handshake for showing that whites were superior according to the president.
It was time for a rematch, this time around,the black boxer was more prepared than the first time. The black guy won and it was time to return home. He got to the airport this time around and met everywhere empty. Not even his fans showed up to welcome him.
The only way to redeem himself was through a third match up with the same guy and if he didn't win, he was going to be in trouble. Turns out the black guy was declared the winner and all hell broke loose for the white guy. He was hunted like an animal in his own country for losing (according to them) to an inferior race.
Truth be told we have to understand that there are also black racists...
Racism on the other side of the divide
So we are made to believe that racism only applies to only one side right? Guess again because racism applies to all and like I said no one in exempt from it.
Before I go on,let me thrill you with my own definition of racism:
Racism is a condition which exists in the absence of love and humanity in which people feel the need to suppress the humanity in their fellow man. Color of the skin and the race of the individual are just the common excuses, the main truth is the mentality of the racist.
Black people are not the victims here, everyone from every tribe is in one way or the other affected by this mentality. My perception of racism goes beyond black and white, in all technicality, there is racism (in my opinion) which occurs even within people of similar ancestry.
I mentioned no race being exempt from it, I have witnessed a situation where a family denied their daughter the right to marry a man because his tribe differed from theirs. Now that is more of a segregation issue, but let us remember that there is very little difference between the two.
I remember sometimes that even after the reign of blackberry phones, which sold their white and black units at a separate amount, with the white being more expensive because it was perceived as more classy, some other local manufacturers of other products followed suit and started selling their white products at a higher rate than the black without anything being added to it.
Speaking of marriage, a friend of mine once said he was never going to marry a girl that is dark in complexion, only a fair skinned girl because he felt the fair ones were the only ones who were clean down below and I was shocked, dark skinned girls are also clean but he was ignorant.
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So what makes us truly different?
Apart from the melanin pigmentation and maybe the anthropology, we all have the same anatomy and there is no disease that occurs when a white skinned person marries a dark skinned person.
I read somewhere that sometime back, black pilots were deemed combat ineffective and were not given planes to fly, but now, pilots of all race and colors now exist.
I believe that instead of worrying about the color of your skin or race, worry instead about how to make a difference in the world.
All images from pixabay
Thanks to @camzy and @elyaque for the animated art and badge
Blacks are racist against themselves. Even in Nigeria you experience racism of the ethnic version with people passing over a good guy to a guy from their ethnic group, who most of the time is not the right candidate. Even in family there is racism, the rich guy gets everyone running around for their attention.
Growing up I've always thought racism is something to do with black and white. But I was very wrong. It wasn't anything of that nature. It is inherent in human and I don't see the end of it any time soon. But this is a statement I would so like to be proved wrong in.
That is why I'd love to be that 100% Nigerian, so when people ask me where I'm from, I simply reply Nigeria. Which part? I answer again Nigeria. It infuriates some. But that's how it is. Keep steeming.
Anyone has the capacity to become a racist.
Yes, boss. Thanks.
All race has their own racist. This uniform of racist should be stopped and we should see our self as one and be under one umbrella.
I pray we get to the stage where we see ourselves as one
@ehiboss
An average 'black man' demands respect from the Western world and screams racism and injustice when treated unfairly by the Whites,, but the bitter fact remains that the blacks haven't earned this respect,, and until we earn it,, until we purge ourselves of our barbaric beastial instincts and actions,, we will forever be treated as lower humans by the Whites,, and rightly so..
We demand respect from a different race when we do not have respect for our own selves..
Or how do you explain this inhumane trend of stripping petty thieves naked on the streets after beating them to coma..
It is like we derive some sort of accomplishment and satisfaction in stripping people naked,, or even outrightly burning them to death..
They call it 'Jungle Justice',, but it just goes to show that we are still living in the jungle-- like wild animals,, not worth to be called humans,, or treated as one..
Or is it our political disposition?? Where you see extremely foolish people 'of the same party' killing one another just because they support different individuals..
How do you explain this??
You are in the same party,, which means you should share the same objectives,, but your supporters go to war and end up killing themselves and we call ourselves humans??
Intra party and inter party killings reign supreme.. And who are the people we kill ourselves over?? Akeredolu?? Amaechi?? Wike?? And co??
When the greatest neurosurgeon of all time - Ben Carson lost out in the presidential race of the U.S and he didn't as much as raise his voice or tell his supporters to go to war..
But here?? Yet we demand respect..
Even we rather jump queues and flout traffic warnings rather than stay in line..
Asides that we compete with them in fashion and other vanities,, they are very much ahead of us,, and since we don't even act as human to one another,, we are still far away from getting the respect we do not deserve just yet..
We need to start being humans first..
That is true, we need to stop the mentality of "it must be me"
Hello @ehiboss,
Racist has a way of dealing with whoever practices it. Racism start with you and me, racism will continue if we don't continue to kick against it. In the the United country, they still experience racism. No wonder, that song: We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me
@stevenmosoes
We must stand as one and kick against it
Good talk. Racism isn't a disease. I believe it is inherited within the DNA. It will never stop. There are people that we live among who literally have a burning hate inside them that they cannot explain but will never let go, for it is their life.
I hope one day we will overcome racism
Hello @ehiboss
This is silly. A rebuke would have made him come to his senses. I wouldn't have tolerated that. What an experience!
@eurogee
If I do not rebuke him carefully, I would have also been accused of racism
Well said @ehiboss. Racism is not about colour, is more of individual differences. We tend to have more racist and backstabing among peopel of the same ethnic race. I can relate with your experience.
Thank you
A wise person once said that a good speech should be like a comet: Dazzling, eye-opening and over before you know it. I don't know how well I can do on the first two, so I'll try to achieve the third! Black History Month started in 1926 as a way to recognize the achievements of people of African descent. When it first began, the celebration lasted just a week. Maybe they realized there were just too many good things to talk about in that short amount of time. Historian Carter G. Woodsen selected the second week of February because it coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
It's a wonderful time to step back and recognize the many great gifts African Americans have brought to our nation. Just reflect on some names with me for a moment - Frederick Douglass; Sojourner Truth; Harriet Tubman; Martin Luther King Jr; Malcom X; Nikki Giovanni; W.E.B. Dubois; Rosa Parks. How different would our country be without these leaders and the myriad of others who fought for Civil Rights? These people have helped us learn what strength is, what perseverance is. They broke down barriers, they stood against injustice, they helped us pull together as a nation and overcome our darkest days. These people and so many others helped us build toward a greater nation where people are judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin.
I love your first quote, thank you for your contribution
you are most welcome
I believe love conquers all, if only we could let love lead, then we can hardly see the colour of our skin, or eye colour etc. All we will see is love nothing else.
One day, I hope love will lead...
we are all racists, it all depends on how we control it (mindset).
It depends
This is pretty great . Because you just ease my mind on this recent problem we are facing throughout the world.
Although, i know why we black feel so reluctant to help each other, they says charity begins from home.
But where is the charity coming all from?
I have always respect all colour, recently i came across US Past President Barack Obama picture on net playing with some kids, this kinds i am talking about are black and white and he never have this racism against them.
I always felt the word "Race" is just a mere word to me, we're the ones that pressed it up in our head and heart to burn us down.
We don't need it, we need to format the mentality about being black or white, let's associate and do something great more better together.
Micheal jackson was accepted in the whole wide world not because of his colour , likewise lucky dube ,bob marley and fela, they were not accepted globally because of their colour but what we feel for them.
Let's educate the world and change the world.
Racism sucks, I believe it hinders growth
This excerpt particularly caught my attention :
I quite agree with you when you opine that racism is a thing of the mind. In fact, to put it harshly, a disease of the soul. God created all men equal, I like to think we are the ones who draw the line ourselves.
Nice work @ehiboss
Thank you
I read this full article and I must say it was well thought and well covered and explained. Racism is just beyond colour, it a mentality of cowards. I can categorically tell you that some regions of the world will almost go to any length to have a tan skinned guy. lol. Well, in the world of today, racism is even within the family and at such, spreads to the community. I however prefer to use a black phone to a white phone. Ever since I have been using phone all are black, even the laptop i am using to type this now is black. lol. Not racism though, but i just dont want flash or "notice me" items.
Thank you for sharing your mind with us @ehiboss.
Thank you for the well constructed comment
Well all i see in racism are just names downgrading cos A is better than B in all aspect or A feel B is over good when given a chance or B is evil in existence.
Similarlity or will i say equivalency will automatically eliminate racism, and its hapening little by little.
Once you notice B is of somewhat important to A then racism will be liberated
Well said
With all said and done, racism should have been a thing of the past. But some people are just too obstinate and unrepentant.
One day, it will change
being black in colour is different from being black in character.
Of course, that is true.
Racism, by now, should have been a thing of the past. But the thing is, racists don't even know they're racists again, because it has eaten deep into their subconscious mind. The first step to the eradication of racism is to have a mind reset.
Nice piece
Sadly, it is not...
I personally never rely new the term racist until it was blown up in the media and today its been used for a scapegoat for silliness. I think the word racist should be changes to class-cist as you find different classes of people look down on each other and the color of your skin has nothing to do with that . And true it should have been something of the past but the political arena will keep it alive for the benefit of votes . i am sure the younger generation is less stressed about the racial thing as they do so many things together these days but normally the are all from the same class if that make sense...
It makes sense..thank you