Short Story: Racism : Is It Still An Issue
T.K.A

Racism, simply put is the breeding ground of hatred. Since Slavery, Racism has been the most outrageous phenomenon of our world. It has in varying forms and to various degrees, been a plague on humanity for thousands of years among the various ethnicities. You have African Americans against African Americans, Caucasians against African Americans, Mexicans against Caucasians and the list continues. It is an issue that many people try to avoid and it is something that still exists today in spite of the works of the late John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. who lost their lives for their principle of ending Racism. Some ask is Racism even alive???...I say are you living on this planet???...It’s all around us and it will remain in existence for a very long time, if we do not change our mentality. Racism can still be seen on an everyday basis. For example, my friend studying in the UK, saw an elderly Caucasian lady struggling with her bags and decided to help her, being the good Samaritan that she is. The lady who had not looked up was handing over the bags till she realized her helper’s skin colour (black) and then pulled her bags away. She continued struggling until this Caucasian man came and she allowed him to help her. If this isn’t a form of Racism, then I don’t know what is. A lot of people assume that if you are African American then you are in a gang and if you are from Iraq, then you are a Terrorist. So yes, Racism is still a big issue.

In 2005, a major storm came with hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans ( a predominantly African American Society), causing many people to be homeless as the floods had washed away their houses. It could have been seen all over the CNN as thousands of African Americans strove to survive and remained stranded in diverse conditions with NO food, NO shelter, and NO water for days. The then President (President Bush), whom by the way, knew of the possible consequences of a hurricane in New Orleans, years before it happened, responded extremely slowly to the cries of the people; slow to provide food and shelter. Then, to top it all off, when money was finally available to start the rebuilding process, building contracts were giving strictly to Caucasian contractors, thus causing the white folk to accumulate more wealth as a result of the disaster. Though it may all be coincidental, it still leaves one to wonder, had white folks been in the majority in New Orleans, would help have taken so much time to arrive through. Had Barack Obama been the President during that period, would help have been quicker? I think yes. Reason being, after the Earthquake which ravaged Haiti the current President, Barack Obama and his team helped and brought relief to Haiti much, much quicker than President Bush had taken to help the people of his own country, the people who were crying for help at his doorsteps. If this doesn’t prove the seriousness of Racism and how very vibrant it is today, then we are a more stupid than I ever imagined.

Moreover, as recently as 2009, a family of nine Muslims including three children were removed from an Air – Tram Flight after two members of the family made a statement about “Airport Security.” Air Tram personnel claimed that their decision was based strictly on the welfare of their passengers and that the family were removed for suspicious reasons. Yet after the family was cleared by F.B.I agents (by which time the children were traumatized), Air – Tram still refused them entry on the Flight. I am of the view that Air – Tram’s decision on the family’s removal from the flight had more to do with what they appeared to be, their looks (since they were Muslims), and not the Airline’s statement. I understand that Air – Tram was doing what they considered to be protecting their passengers. However, if the family was cleared by the F.B.I agents, why not allow them on the Flight? I see it all as racial discrimination. I think that people need to get past the 911 paranoia and stop terrorizing and traumatizing innocent families through unrealized racism.

In conclusion, we need to understand that there is only one race and that is the human race. Indians, Mexicans, Asians, Africans, Caucasians are not different races but rather different ethnicities of the human race. We all have the same characteristics physically. Until we understand this, Racism will continue to flourish. From a Biblical standpoint, Jesus taught in MATTHEW 25, that whatever we do to the least of our brothers we do to Him. Therefore, if we treat a person with contempt, we are mistreating a person created in the image and likeness of God, thus we are hurting somebody whom God loves and for whom Jesus died. He loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to die for us. Doesn’t the World mean all of us, regardless of ethnicity? If God can love us all despite of our many sins, why can’t we love one another the same. We all deserve a voice and a right to be ourselves. Being a Mexican, African American, Caucasian doesn’t make one a drug dealer or a gangbanger or a natural racist and it doesn’t make us any less of a human being. It makes us different in skin colour and being different is being yourself and that’s the only way society can thrive.

Discuss Story