As a person of color you are discriminated against on numerous occasions.
My friend went up to cash something in a store and the cashier insisted that
she place the money on the counter lest in the exchange she should touch her.
This was not so for the other customers who were like her. She was pleasant to them
and thanked them for shopping. Equity was diminished in that we were made to
feel less welcomed and appreciated almost insignificant.
I was insulted to the
core. Fortunately I knew better than to retaliate or be disrespectful. I did some on the spot lecturing as some
people know these lifestyles from
childhood and cannot tell why is it that it is done. In order to turn this
incident into an opportunity for greater equity, I believe that people who will
advocate for social justice must form part of all the committees at those
entities to ensure that fairness exists.
Persons of the dominant culture who serve in these entities need to
understand their own biases and deal with them, before they can honestly relate
to people. Margles and Margles (2010)
noted that “no one, no matter how intelligent and skillful at critical
thinking, is protected against the subliminal suggestions that imprint
themselves on our unconscious brain.” Persons
should not be given an unfair advantage over others on the basis of racism or
any other “ism.” Discrimination can
alter a person’s destiny if measures are not taken to avert the likely results.
I strongly believe now that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent
so we must speak out.
Resources
Derman-Sparks, L., &
Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves.
Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children
(NAEYC).
