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Rikki Jones
Professor Watkins
English T/R 9:00
19 April 2016
Ending Ethnicity Inequality
In the world today, 2016, there are so many walks of life and more importantly races. We
as a society/world are no longer just the basic; African American, Caucasian, Hispanic, and
Asian etc. The world has become way more diverse, people are mixed with all different types of
ethnicities and the population has grown even larger than years before. Yet, there is still a large
amount of racism going on in the world today. Which is hard to fathom because more than half
of this populations of different types of people, no one person is the same. Our differences, our
struggles, and our roots help make the world better and unique. It is truly upsetting how some
people rather bring someone down for how they are rather than embrace the beauty that is human
and love each other.
The topic of ethnicity has been on my mind a lot lately because I, myself am a minority. I
am African American and proud of it. But, not everyone feels the same sadly and that brings me
in to the topic I want to discuss. Global citizenship. I honestly did not know what being a global
citizen truly meant but after getting educated on the meaning I think it has a lot to do with
racism. To be a global citizen is to globally aware of what else makes up the world. To be diverse
and educated about the other areas of the world. Being one also means to help one another. Love
your neighbors, and I understand that may be hard to do. But to me being a global citizen does
not mean you have to befriend every human being that comes across but to just know that the
race, culture that someone is currently in, that that is not the only one in this whole word. We

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need to learn to accept peoples differences and reach out of our own social comfort/realm. It is
honestly selfish to want only one race to make up this beautiful world all of us call home. I
personally was not so much educated on racism I think due to the fact my elementary school was
predominately of white race. I do not think they felt the need to educate certain parts of history
because there was no need to, I was the ONLY black girl. Racism is an uncomfortable yet much
needed conversation to have. Like Sharpton said in the power of forgiveness should not be
confused; Yes, racism is real and vile, and many of us are castigated for reminding Americans
of this reality, but to forgive proponents of racism while you fight their behavior is not only
praiseworthy- it is necessary. Us African Americans forgive and forgive and have to deal with a
lot of violence and hate crimes which is not fair. For the color of our skin that we can not help we
are despised and looked down upon. And to be honest I think we are one of the top races that has
the most hate towards.
In my own personal life, I have come in contact with racism since I was a little girl. Of
curse as I have got older I have learned to brush it off my shoulder but when I was younger I was
not quite sure how to handle it. As I said before, the school I went to was mostly white people
and was the ONLY African American girl (yes in 2001, crazy I know). In the beginning I did not
think to much of it but eventually it becomes inevitable to not notice that imp the only one of my
kind at the school. I would never say anything as I began to notice. But I did start to get
uncomfortable, I felt like I did not fit in; my hair texture was different, my features were different
everything was just different! I will never forget how disgustingly I would get treated by young
girls my own age that should have had a mind of their own but was very clear that their parents
were the ones that were racist because at that age all you know is how your parents interact. I
was shy when I was younger, I would take the name calling, being locked in the bathroom, and

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having to sit on the floor in music class because my Jewish friend and I were not wanted on the
risers with the rest of the girls. I felt humiliated for no reason and did not realize the power I had
in my voice to speak up for what I believe is right.
My mom and I moved school districts the middle school and high school I went to I will
never forget and will always cherish. It taught me something I feel is a need to have to learn and
be educated about the world around you and that is diversity. I gained friends that were from all
over the friendships were amazing. Just to have friends that were not just of my race or of
Caucasian race but almost all possibilities of race. Us minorities were here on this earth just like
any other race. And when people that stay I their own social realm and are not wanting or willing
to learn what else is out there, outside of the stereotypes of the different races, I think people
miss out on some really good friends.
The stereotypes some people put on African Americans is sad because not everyone is the
same. I think everyone can agree to some degree it is upsetting when an individual is lumped into
a generalization of their race when in reality we are our own people within our race. Blacks are
criminalized in the news media, treated as less desirable than whites in popular culture, and
presented overwhelmingly as threatening criminal elements in film and television. Americans of
all colors are insulted to see blacks as threatening, alien, and dangerous. Said David Goldberg.
And I truly agree with Goldberg, why is it that African Americans are put as this low down race
that have no home training or education. It is as if when you see a black person they want people
to associate us with violence or ratchedness. We are HUMAN, we have HEARTS, we have
FEELINGS, and people make mistakes in all races. We shouldnt be looked down upon as a
whole race but as individual people. Black Americans are killed for eating skittles. Playing with
toy guns s children. Listening to loud music. Selling cigarettes on the the street. Running away

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from police officers. Hanging out a pool party. Attending prayer meetings. There doesnt seem to
be a way for black Americans to just be that doesnt involve the threat of death or violence at the
hands of whites. this is terrorism [ Goldberg]. Us African Americans do things that white
people do or have the ability to do and it has a totally different meaning behind it when black
people do the same. We as a race are deserving of an equal chance. I think if we put an end to
racism we will start a new beginning to global citizenship.
Living in Stillwater Oklahoma for now was a big culture shock to me I am from Dallas,
family from New York, therefore I am used to a diverse area for the most part but here I feel like
I do not belong at all. And no I have not come in contact personally here with racism on a
confrontational level, but I feel the stares some times, I feel the awkwardness and Im not sure if
its because Im black or what. To be a black female sometimes is difficult yes but I can not
imagine how hard it can be for a black male, I know the black males that go here say it is harder
to fit in or feel a belonging. Whether they are here on athletic scholarship or academic
scholarship they are all looked at the same. Black college students experience issues that are
exacerbated by racism. Sixty percent of black students encountered racism. (overt and covert
forms.) routinely feel that there is bias in the ways that they are treated and graded. Juanita
Johnson-bailey stated in race, the black male and heterogeneous racisms in education with
what she said I would like to add that being a minority we try extra (not all) to just get close to
getting the same treatment as the white person but cant seem to meet that quota ever! And I am
not talking down on any race I love all races and find beauty in every body, every race. And that
is why I do think I am partially a global citizen because I find beauty in the differences of
everyone. From religion, color, culture everything. Its hard not assume as a black person that
with school or work, male or female in the African American race that, you may not be getting

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the same fair grades or treatment but until you are a minority you just know when something is
not right. But we are looked as crazy or violent when we call a person out on such matter but you
have to keep in mind, everyone was given a voice. Sometimes you have to put yourself in
someone elses shoes. By definition, trauma is the physiological, psychological, and emotional
damage resulting from the stressors of racial harassment of discrimination. Kenneth T. Ponds
said in his article The Trauma of Racism: Americans Original Sin. I think when people really
put together the history of slavery and racism and the present day of racism its hard to heal our
wounds because we have not really got time to heal them. History does repeat itself.
Unfortunately, I think it is hard to completely end racism because you can not persuade everyone
on a different mindset but I think there are a couple steps that could be taken if we lived in a
world that was more open minded to new ideas!
To begin with ending racism, I do think a main place that would make a positive impact
is the work environment. In the work environment I feel like African Americans walk in
automatically feeling as if they have to work 10 times harder than the Caucasian person next to
them. It is almost like we have an unequal chance already when hired at the work place. Or we
could go to an interview and have the same degrees and experience as the Caucasian man or
women in the interview after us. Now be honest who do you think will end up getting hired?
exactly. So, with that being said I would like to see more equality in the work place and people
not hiring black people just make their business look good like they arent racist or dont look at
us as just capable. In the article Black Lives Matter: A commentary on racism and public
health, Jennifer Jee-Lyn Garcia and Meniah Zulfdarf Sharif, MPH made a statement that I
definitely do agree with Racism, defined earlier is a system based on race that unfairly

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disadvantages some individuals and communities and advantages others. And I think that
definition ties in perfectly with advantages of one race above another in certain environment.
Secondly, I know this a longshot but I do believe that a lot of the anger in today that
makes it well known that racism is still alive is the police brutality. How they show the
disadvantages of one race and give advantages to others. Young black kids are getting
mishandled constantly and even killed in the hands of police officers. But are white people? No
they are not. There have even instances where white guys have killed multiples of people and did
the officers see the suspect as a threat? No. so why arent black people looked at as an equal?
When it comes to crime it should not matter of race, whatever the race is they all did a crime.
They are trained police officer and shouldnt let a young or old black person feel you so
threatened to the point you kill them. They are putting such trauma on families and make the
anger just worst and make it seem as if there is racism because white people do not get the same
treatment when it comes incarceration. If cops treated every situation remotely the same given
the circumstance and would not go straight to shooting and give equal treatment, I do not think
that black people would feel like there is a target on their back.
Thirdly, a step to end racism is educating the young minds. It would be hard to persuade
or change the minds of older people who have molded their thoughts and mindset to be what it is
already. If we start educating them when they are younger, we can teach them how certain things
like discrimation and treating someone unequally just because of their skin is not okay. Because I
know in middle school and high school they briefly go over slavery and racism which is okay
because it is a time period in a long history. But, if we had a class about just equality as a whole,
equal rights between man and women, and between the races I think something so small could
help make a huge difference. I do understand that there are skeptics about the whole Black

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Lives Matter and might not agree with the three key steps to ending racism that I have listed.
Some people might not see it as necessary because they have the better end of the stick. When
someone doesnt really have many disadvantages in life it would be hard to see the other side.
Unfortunate, not everyone is with the movement of Black Lives Matter which Is okay because
everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Shelina Assomuli stated in her article Black Lives and
All Matters, But do all black lives matter or do all lives matter? black lives and do all lives
matter are the counter parts to their own messages because black lives truly do matter, they will
not be black lives they will be all lives. With that being said, there is only a division because
black people look at white people as not a regular life but a black life which is unequal in their
eyes. So the movement is black lives matter. Now, people on the opposing side want to say all
lives matter but what really is the issue. Just because we say black lives matter does not mean we
are counting out the other lives. IT is a movement of black lives because they are not treated the
same, we are being killed everyday. Yet the people that are saying All lives matter think that
black people are trying to make them superior because of the situations or circumstances we
have been in and I do not think that is the case. And quiet frankly if it was I do not see the harm.
We just want to be seen equal. Like I said in the beginning, it is 2016 this is the future. There are
so many different walks of life and so many changes have been made already I do believe that
racism will end one day maybe far from now but eventually but I do think there are steps that
should be taken now to end it. Because, as citizens of the world we should be co living not living
alone in our own bubble.

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Works Cited

Campoamor, Danielle. "Making Mistakes in America." The Huffington Post.

TheHuffingtonPost.com, 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniellecampoamor/making-mistakes-in-america_b_7536016.html>.
Garcia, Jennifer Jee-lyn, PHD, and Mienah Z. Sharif, MPH. "Black Lives Matter: A
Commentary on Racism and Public Health." Pubmedcentral.nih.gov. American Journal of Public
Health, 6 Aug. 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.
<https://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4504294/>.
Higgins, Eosin. "Just Another Instance of White Terrorism." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eoinhiggins/just-another-instance-of-_b_7618822.html>.
Johnson-Bailey, Juanita, Nichole Ray, and Tennille Lasker-Scott. "Race, the Black Male,
and Heterogeneous Racisms in Education." New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education
2014.144 (2014): 5-14. Web.
Live, GVH. "Black Lives and All Lives." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 12 Dec.
2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gvh-live-/black-lives-and-alllives_b_8720364.html>.
Ponds, Kennteth T. "The Trauma of Racism." EBSCOhost. Reclaiming Children and Youth,
2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. <http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/89922670/trauma-racismamericas-original-sin>.
Sharpton, Rev. Al. "The Power of Forgiveness Should Not Be Confused." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-alsharpton/the-power-of-forgiveness_b_7638004.html>.

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