Karlelle Rice
SEO
Dear President,
My name is Karlelle Rice and coming into the presidency I feel that there are problems faced In New York that needs to change. These problems are serious because I have seen a community fall apart day by day due to the lack of education and discrimination against the people. I have experienced personal issues that dealt with both of these conflicts. As a citizen of New York I feel that these issues are not being dealt with or taken seriously.
The education system is failing to meet the needs of New York City kids. Every 26 seconds there is a child dropping out of high school due to the lack of the resources such as computers, text books and paper, which causes him to lose interest in the work. In the schools, kids have to share books or cannot do the lessons because the materials are not there. As a student in the New York City public I face the struggles of trying to get ahead in my work and reaching an advanced level. While taking an Advanced Placement class I felt that I was doing things that other kid’s weren’t able to do in their school, but when my friends came from Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, they told me that the work I was learning they already had done. Kids struggle every day to make it and it is not to succeed but just to get by because there is no motivation or help from society because the people is all focused on the war and other things that are not serious. Having an education is very important because the work and technology of New York City is advancing and we are going to need the upcoming generation to run them.
One may say that the advancement in technology is more important than education to that of the students. The education that is being taught in New York City public schools does not level with the work of third world countries and that of private schools. In the upcoming generation the way the education system is failing the kids, there would be nobody to run the machinery because they would not have the requirement or skill to work the machinery to their best ability or to their full potential. The money is being taken out of New York City public schools to full fill the future world that is wanted by certain people. Because of the technology advancements kids in the public school systems are being deprived out of the education and learning environment that is needed to succeed and make in this new coming world.
Discrimination is seen to only and simply involve minorities otherwise known of as people of color, however this is not the case. As a matter of fact this is a topic that circulates throughout our society. People are being discriminated against every day due to the color of their skin, or their nationality. Some men and women are not getting the jobs they want because the people that work there do not want them there. That’s goes for not just in the work place, but also in restaurant and in any place where it’s not people of their kind. I have experienced a situation in which I felt that my friends and I were being discriminated against our nationality. When it was my best friend’s birthday we decided to go out to eat and when we got to the restaurant everybody was staring at us because we were all black and Hispanic and mostly everybody in the place was white. When we finally sat down, my friends and I started to laugh and make jokes. Then a white guy next us got up and asked for a new seat because he did not want to be near, us and then he told the manager that we were being loud and bothering him. After all of that was said the manager came over and told us that we had to quiet it down or else we would get kicked out. So I turned around and saw that the guy was laughing and everybody in the restaurant was staring at us, which made us very uncomfortable, so we ate our food and left quickly because we did not want to be in that kind of environment. This was a situation that hurt me the most. I thought that people did not still act like any more, and that society was much smarter than that.
Reading about the Civil Right Movement has opened my mind to problems that are still faced today that I never even paid attention on how serious it was. The Civil Rights Movement happened due to the inequality towards blacks. African Americans during the time of the civil rights movement did not have the education or rights that whites had and that caused them to be at a lower level than they were. I feel that history is repeating itself in the education system because the work is behind compared to private schools and schools in third world countries. Discrimination was shown with no cover ups back in the 1950s but know it is still going on but not out in public. It is funny because the Civil Right Movement was not too long ago and the things the blacks fought for they have it but society still has not came out this state of mind that everybody is equal.
As becoming a new president there is many things that have to be fixed and changed. I feel that in becoming a president it has to be proven that the problems will be taken of and down with efficiency. New York is one of the best places for technology and opportunities but is it really opportunity when the education is horrible and there still is discrimination amongst the people. This is just the beginning of the many problems that to come and if there not dealt with now how will the problems in the future get solve.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Changes to a Hectic World (Final)
Dear Mr. President,
Congratulations on your new position as head of this country. I commemorate you on your struggles to get to where you are now however; the hardest is yet to come. I believe that this country has gone through many hard times and the worst is yet to come. I am a high school student that is concerned with the current position our country is in, its progress and society’s issues with racism. I have been witness to many racist acts thought my life and I have yet to begin to explore the world. I have been participating in a program and that has opened my eyes to the many injustices in the world, which has galvanized me to write this letter to inform you that change has to occur.
In society people are often misconstrued as being of another color, ethnicity or of a lower class. Some suggest that people are often stereotyped to be something that they are not, due to their appearance. In my personal life, I have been judged by my appearance just like the main character in the short story, “The Sky is Gray” by Ernest J. Gaines. This short story reflects the segregation between blacks and whites during the Jim Crow era. In this story the author combines the colors black and white to create a shade of gray which foreshadows the future integration of both races. The separate colors of black and white show the true Dominican I am by my boisterous side and the supposable Mexican I am by my calm and shy side.
Through my experiences, one’s life can be in jeopardy by a misinterpretation of an action. I have recently watched the The Murder of Emmett Till which is the murder of a boy who was accused of whistling to a white woman, was beaten and then shot at point blank. In my personal experience I was alleged to be a Mexican person. Even though I was not hurt as bad as Emmet Till, I was pushed to the floor, humiliated and degraded from the social class I am. In both cases, Mr. Till and my actions have caused us pain just because of a misconception brought up by a person’s appearance.
In the short story “Everything That Rises Must Converge” the author Flannery O’Connor suggests that change “… takes time, and the world is in such as mess” (P.406). In today’s world there are many environmental and racial problems to the extent that it will take a long time to solve them. During the Jim Crow era many activists like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. slowly brought this world to what it is today. I believe that people can do the same and continue this change. Even though change has occurred many of the practices from the past still remain today.
In another piece “The Eyes on the Prize, Civil Rights Reader” by Clayborne, Garrow, Gill, Harding, and Hine, one psychologist named Kenneth Clark created a focus group of children and gave them each a black and white doll. Mr. Clark asked: “Give me the doll you like to play with or like the best?”, “Give me the doll that is the nice one?”, “Give me the doll that looks bad?”, and “Give me the doll that is a nice color?” (P.79-80). Their responses where shocking because the majority chose the white doll seeing that whites were superior during that period. In today’s modern society, racism still exists to the extent that small children have already chosen the answers to those questions. The important question as to “Why?” was answered with the statements “It’s White” or “It’s Black”. Many of the children characterized the white doll as good and the black doll as bad. In a reenactment of the doll study (renamed as “A Girl like me”) originally done by Kenneth Clark the children had preference to race. Many children tend to absorb the things that they see and believe that it is okay. A possible reason is because many of the commercials unintentionally show racist views. For example, Barbie commercials which have the “white Ken and Barbie” while they just recently introduced the color ones. In one event I saw a person prefer or treat another child better because of skin color. These where not dolls but real children. I was shocked to see that people who believe in equality still have the thought of segregation because of color. This reminded me of the doctrine “segregated but equal” from the Plessy v. Ferguson case.
In my current school studies the 14th Amendment suggests that citizens have equal protection in the eyes of the law. In my personal perspective people were not really equal because even though they were given equal rights people were restricted by the laws. We still have “freedom” and are given “equality” yet in society it has lost its meaning. In the past and present, people’s actions have not only been restricted by law but also by what is morally correct. Throughout history as laws have expanded, people are beginning to have a sense of how much freedom and equality they actually have. The factor that decides equality I believe is money. Money determines if you go to jail or get bailed out. My economic situation, unlike others before me, has been currently okay but when college comes that will change. Throughout the world many amendments and rights have been twisted in order to use it to ones advantage thus, it questions my view of what is “freedom” and what people consider is “equality”.
I have been raised to believe that “Today’s generations are tomorrow’s future leaders.” I would like to move on from the past and towards the future of this country. In today’s society we have had much racism towards a variety of people. It is hard to believe there are many racist people in the world even though the Civil War is over. Many people live in the past and we need to change that in order to bring people forward and make a change in society. First, as the future president, I believe you could try to get the people together and have the “Voice of America” which are its citizens contribute ideas to the issues in this world. I suggest people should do community workshops in order to overcome racism and have it reduced. In addition to that people should inform their children of past events. A way to do this is to incorporate more current events activities during school, to upgrade their knowledge on how the world is changing. People who can’t afford an education should not be judged because of financial status. There should be more help for the poor in order to stop these misinterpretations that people get. Many should try and stop putting so many false allegations on different ethnicities. For example, that Asians are all smart, that African Americans have a small percentage regarding education, Dominicans are all centered in different Heights, Mexicans all are associated to tacos and that if you go into a certain neighborhood, one might get hurt or harassed.
As implied by the United States people have freedom. In cases where later in the future evidence is found that proves a client’s innocence they should be removed from prison and put on probation. This would decrease the amount of money that Bush put towards prisons and instead put it to schools that need funds. Since we are also equal under the Constitution and the 14th Amendment people shouldn’t have more rights than others. People should not be winning court cases just because one person has more money than another. In other situations the legal system should be reviewed and updated because there are many laws that aren’t necessary. Since America is all about justice then let there be more justice and allow people to have second trials. I believe that not all human lives should be determined on one case. With this people will be more supportive of presidential ideas and back up the country. I believe that people at war should be brought back to their countries because too much money is going into war efforts instead of supporting the country’s future which are its children. If more children are educated then they can help society slowly assimilate into a non racist world that has true freedom for people, and allows the equality that everyone deserves. I am not trying to suggest that America turn communist but the people to have the equality that they have been promised for the past 400 years. People constantly say that education is important then we must train the leaders of the future like they were trained in the past. I suggest that racism in the media and in other locations should be expunged. Many children are absorbing the information that they see and replaying them with Barbie dolls. When observing children at stores they preferred the white Barbie dolls to the black dolls because of the way they were portrayed in the commercials. Another suggestion is that schools should be more integrated. There still exist some schools that still have all black or all white student bodies. When in a captive lunch room many people tend to segregate themselves into certain categories. People already have a classification on what is a supposable “nerd” or considerably “cool”.
I encourage you to expand the minds of the country’s people and not hide information that is crucial. The people who live and give support to this country should have the right to the truth. Who knows the truth may unlock a person’s mind. I believe that the hope for society is to control the media, increase education and decrease the power that the army has. Not everything in the world is resolved with fighting but it can be done with intelligence. One person can have a voice but it takes a crowd to take actions and do something about it. I encourage you as our president to take a stand and make slow changes in order to repair the mess the current world is in. We are the voice and you have the power to change the world for the good of everyone. Thank You for your time.
Sincerely,
Katherine Rojas
Congratulations on your new position as head of this country. I commemorate you on your struggles to get to where you are now however; the hardest is yet to come. I believe that this country has gone through many hard times and the worst is yet to come. I am a high school student that is concerned with the current position our country is in, its progress and society’s issues with racism. I have been witness to many racist acts thought my life and I have yet to begin to explore the world. I have been participating in a program and that has opened my eyes to the many injustices in the world, which has galvanized me to write this letter to inform you that change has to occur.
In society people are often misconstrued as being of another color, ethnicity or of a lower class. Some suggest that people are often stereotyped to be something that they are not, due to their appearance. In my personal life, I have been judged by my appearance just like the main character in the short story, “The Sky is Gray” by Ernest J. Gaines. This short story reflects the segregation between blacks and whites during the Jim Crow era. In this story the author combines the colors black and white to create a shade of gray which foreshadows the future integration of both races. The separate colors of black and white show the true Dominican I am by my boisterous side and the supposable Mexican I am by my calm and shy side.
Through my experiences, one’s life can be in jeopardy by a misinterpretation of an action. I have recently watched the The Murder of Emmett Till which is the murder of a boy who was accused of whistling to a white woman, was beaten and then shot at point blank. In my personal experience I was alleged to be a Mexican person. Even though I was not hurt as bad as Emmet Till, I was pushed to the floor, humiliated and degraded from the social class I am. In both cases, Mr. Till and my actions have caused us pain just because of a misconception brought up by a person’s appearance.
In the short story “Everything That Rises Must Converge” the author Flannery O’Connor suggests that change “… takes time, and the world is in such as mess” (P.406). In today’s world there are many environmental and racial problems to the extent that it will take a long time to solve them. During the Jim Crow era many activists like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. slowly brought this world to what it is today. I believe that people can do the same and continue this change. Even though change has occurred many of the practices from the past still remain today.
In another piece “The Eyes on the Prize, Civil Rights Reader” by Clayborne, Garrow, Gill, Harding, and Hine, one psychologist named Kenneth Clark created a focus group of children and gave them each a black and white doll. Mr. Clark asked: “Give me the doll you like to play with or like the best?”, “Give me the doll that is the nice one?”, “Give me the doll that looks bad?”, and “Give me the doll that is a nice color?” (P.79-80). Their responses where shocking because the majority chose the white doll seeing that whites were superior during that period. In today’s modern society, racism still exists to the extent that small children have already chosen the answers to those questions. The important question as to “Why?” was answered with the statements “It’s White” or “It’s Black”. Many of the children characterized the white doll as good and the black doll as bad. In a reenactment of the doll study (renamed as “A Girl like me”) originally done by Kenneth Clark the children had preference to race. Many children tend to absorb the things that they see and believe that it is okay. A possible reason is because many of the commercials unintentionally show racist views. For example, Barbie commercials which have the “white Ken and Barbie” while they just recently introduced the color ones. In one event I saw a person prefer or treat another child better because of skin color. These where not dolls but real children. I was shocked to see that people who believe in equality still have the thought of segregation because of color. This reminded me of the doctrine “segregated but equal” from the Plessy v. Ferguson case.
In my current school studies the 14th Amendment suggests that citizens have equal protection in the eyes of the law. In my personal perspective people were not really equal because even though they were given equal rights people were restricted by the laws. We still have “freedom” and are given “equality” yet in society it has lost its meaning. In the past and present, people’s actions have not only been restricted by law but also by what is morally correct. Throughout history as laws have expanded, people are beginning to have a sense of how much freedom and equality they actually have. The factor that decides equality I believe is money. Money determines if you go to jail or get bailed out. My economic situation, unlike others before me, has been currently okay but when college comes that will change. Throughout the world many amendments and rights have been twisted in order to use it to ones advantage thus, it questions my view of what is “freedom” and what people consider is “equality”.
I have been raised to believe that “Today’s generations are tomorrow’s future leaders.” I would like to move on from the past and towards the future of this country. In today’s society we have had much racism towards a variety of people. It is hard to believe there are many racist people in the world even though the Civil War is over. Many people live in the past and we need to change that in order to bring people forward and make a change in society. First, as the future president, I believe you could try to get the people together and have the “Voice of America” which are its citizens contribute ideas to the issues in this world. I suggest people should do community workshops in order to overcome racism and have it reduced. In addition to that people should inform their children of past events. A way to do this is to incorporate more current events activities during school, to upgrade their knowledge on how the world is changing. People who can’t afford an education should not be judged because of financial status. There should be more help for the poor in order to stop these misinterpretations that people get. Many should try and stop putting so many false allegations on different ethnicities. For example, that Asians are all smart, that African Americans have a small percentage regarding education, Dominicans are all centered in different Heights, Mexicans all are associated to tacos and that if you go into a certain neighborhood, one might get hurt or harassed.
As implied by the United States people have freedom. In cases where later in the future evidence is found that proves a client’s innocence they should be removed from prison and put on probation. This would decrease the amount of money that Bush put towards prisons and instead put it to schools that need funds. Since we are also equal under the Constitution and the 14th Amendment people shouldn’t have more rights than others. People should not be winning court cases just because one person has more money than another. In other situations the legal system should be reviewed and updated because there are many laws that aren’t necessary. Since America is all about justice then let there be more justice and allow people to have second trials. I believe that not all human lives should be determined on one case. With this people will be more supportive of presidential ideas and back up the country. I believe that people at war should be brought back to their countries because too much money is going into war efforts instead of supporting the country’s future which are its children. If more children are educated then they can help society slowly assimilate into a non racist world that has true freedom for people, and allows the equality that everyone deserves. I am not trying to suggest that America turn communist but the people to have the equality that they have been promised for the past 400 years. People constantly say that education is important then we must train the leaders of the future like they were trained in the past. I suggest that racism in the media and in other locations should be expunged. Many children are absorbing the information that they see and replaying them with Barbie dolls. When observing children at stores they preferred the white Barbie dolls to the black dolls because of the way they were portrayed in the commercials. Another suggestion is that schools should be more integrated. There still exist some schools that still have all black or all white student bodies. When in a captive lunch room many people tend to segregate themselves into certain categories. People already have a classification on what is a supposable “nerd” or considerably “cool”.
I encourage you to expand the minds of the country’s people and not hide information that is crucial. The people who live and give support to this country should have the right to the truth. Who knows the truth may unlock a person’s mind. I believe that the hope for society is to control the media, increase education and decrease the power that the army has. Not everything in the world is resolved with fighting but it can be done with intelligence. One person can have a voice but it takes a crowd to take actions and do something about it. I encourage you as our president to take a stand and make slow changes in order to repair the mess the current world is in. We are the voice and you have the power to change the world for the good of everyone. Thank You for your time.
Sincerely,
Katherine Rojas
Discrimination in Modern Day America.. Mr. President, We Need Change: Final
Dear Mr. President,
The current state of our country is unsatisfactory. Not because of particular laws or policies, but because of the frame of mind of many Americans. It has been over 50 years since the Civil Rights Movement and despite all of the progress made through the years, our society still does not meet the standard and is not living up to the potential that it can due to the way that many people think. In a selection from the anthology, The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader, African Americans received discriminatory treatment and as it continues, we feel the same pain that they did during the Jim Crow era. Similarly, over the years, I have had more than one encounter with people and police where I was viewed as something I am not. In order for our country to make further progress, you as our president, can do a variety of things in order to bring change in the way how society judges people.
In my life, I have had encounters with people that may not be considered racism, but are very similar to it because I was treated differently based on assumptions that were made and stereotypes that get placed on people with hair like mine. India Arie once said, “I am not my hair, I am not this skin”. This beautiful lyric says it all because a person is not the hair on his/her head or the color and texture of his/her skin but the character and personality within. Therefore it is not ok for anyone to look quaintly at, judge, or pigeonhole anyone based on their appearance. I am sick and tired of people making the impudent assumption that because I have thick, natural dread locks that I sell and/or walk around with weed in my pocket. I am sick and tired of being stopped for those conveniently “random searches of backpacks and other large containers” (once is more than enough but two and a half times is ridiculous!). And I am most definitely sick and tired of getting those dirty looks from old ladies and their grandbabies on the bus and in the street. It is beyond provoking walking to school or through the park and being asked if I got that good ****. I remember one time me my mom and her boyfriend were driving home from our cousin’s house in queens and the police decide to stop us because it looked like we were trying to “avoid” them by “turning on a red light”. So we get out and the police search my mother’s boyfriend and me and then one of the police officers decides to say, “You have any weed on you? Don’t worry; you can tell me, I wouldn’t say anything. Just be honest, you got any weed” and I’m like…no. These experiences I have had make me even more aware of racism and the fact that it still exists because it affects me directly. Sometimes I wonder, if I wasn’t a young African/Caribbean American male with long dread locks, would I be having all of these experiences.
A passage that is very important in the relation to my personal experiences can be found in, The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader. Although this selection was all facts, the evidence from these facts have made me aware that the effects that my experiences have had on me is similar to the effects that living during Jim Crow had on the young people of its time.
In The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader, readers were told that segregation was even justified in the school systems because parents and the white race on a whole did not want their children or themselves to learn in the same institutions as blacks. They felt that we blacks were inferior only because they had different color skin. Research was done to see how life in this era affected the psyche of young children. They conducted this experiment with the use of dolls and when the young children were asked questions like, “choose which doll you would rather play with” and “which doll is cleaner and which doll is the clean one”, they all picked up the white doll. But when negative questions were asked, all of the children picked up the black doll. The evidence from that experience proved that the policies and “culture” of Jim Crow had a negative effect on these children. This can be related to my story because when someone constantly associates a person with negative connotations because of the way they look, it has an effect not only on the individual, but also on the people who live around them. Young children especially can be very impressionable and may adopt these stereotypes as they grow up.
In society, individuals tend to look at people and make postulations and that can be dangerous for the one making the assumptions and the one in which the assumptions are being placed upon. Mr. President, you must break the stereotypes by coming into the communities and showing everyone – Black, White, Hispanic, Asian etc – that not every black person walking the street, hanging out with his friend or even walking in the train station with his book bag and other large container is selling drugs or looking for trouble. Bring the media, bring the news reporters, bring whoever is necessary to aid in the curing of the ignorance that has clinched the minds of millions for so many years. By helping to change the mentality of the public, many young adults that have been sent to jail and/or whose lives have been disrupted will have peace of mind knowing that they can go outside late at night and not have to worry about the police stopping them because they “look” like they might have some form of illegal substance on them. Education is also the key because many people remain ignorant to all of the progress and changes that African Americans and other minorities have made in society today. By doing things like hosting meetings and seminars to bring awareness to the people, most of the ignorance in this country can be cured and many people would be able to conduct their lives freely without fear of being discriminated and judged or without being afraid of people because of stereotypes or discrimination.
The current state of our country is unsatisfactory. Not because of particular laws or policies, but because of the frame of mind of many Americans. It has been over 50 years since the Civil Rights Movement and despite all of the progress made through the years, our society still does not meet the standard and is not living up to the potential that it can due to the way that many people think. In a selection from the anthology, The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader, African Americans received discriminatory treatment and as it continues, we feel the same pain that they did during the Jim Crow era. Similarly, over the years, I have had more than one encounter with people and police where I was viewed as something I am not. In order for our country to make further progress, you as our president, can do a variety of things in order to bring change in the way how society judges people.
In my life, I have had encounters with people that may not be considered racism, but are very similar to it because I was treated differently based on assumptions that were made and stereotypes that get placed on people with hair like mine. India Arie once said, “I am not my hair, I am not this skin”. This beautiful lyric says it all because a person is not the hair on his/her head or the color and texture of his/her skin but the character and personality within. Therefore it is not ok for anyone to look quaintly at, judge, or pigeonhole anyone based on their appearance. I am sick and tired of people making the impudent assumption that because I have thick, natural dread locks that I sell and/or walk around with weed in my pocket. I am sick and tired of being stopped for those conveniently “random searches of backpacks and other large containers” (once is more than enough but two and a half times is ridiculous!). And I am most definitely sick and tired of getting those dirty looks from old ladies and their grandbabies on the bus and in the street. It is beyond provoking walking to school or through the park and being asked if I got that good ****. I remember one time me my mom and her boyfriend were driving home from our cousin’s house in queens and the police decide to stop us because it looked like we were trying to “avoid” them by “turning on a red light”. So we get out and the police search my mother’s boyfriend and me and then one of the police officers decides to say, “You have any weed on you? Don’t worry; you can tell me, I wouldn’t say anything. Just be honest, you got any weed” and I’m like…no. These experiences I have had make me even more aware of racism and the fact that it still exists because it affects me directly. Sometimes I wonder, if I wasn’t a young African/Caribbean American male with long dread locks, would I be having all of these experiences.
A passage that is very important in the relation to my personal experiences can be found in, The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader. Although this selection was all facts, the evidence from these facts have made me aware that the effects that my experiences have had on me is similar to the effects that living during Jim Crow had on the young people of its time.
In The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader, readers were told that segregation was even justified in the school systems because parents and the white race on a whole did not want their children or themselves to learn in the same institutions as blacks. They felt that we blacks were inferior only because they had different color skin. Research was done to see how life in this era affected the psyche of young children. They conducted this experiment with the use of dolls and when the young children were asked questions like, “choose which doll you would rather play with” and “which doll is cleaner and which doll is the clean one”, they all picked up the white doll. But when negative questions were asked, all of the children picked up the black doll. The evidence from that experience proved that the policies and “culture” of Jim Crow had a negative effect on these children. This can be related to my story because when someone constantly associates a person with negative connotations because of the way they look, it has an effect not only on the individual, but also on the people who live around them. Young children especially can be very impressionable and may adopt these stereotypes as they grow up.
In society, individuals tend to look at people and make postulations and that can be dangerous for the one making the assumptions and the one in which the assumptions are being placed upon. Mr. President, you must break the stereotypes by coming into the communities and showing everyone – Black, White, Hispanic, Asian etc – that not every black person walking the street, hanging out with his friend or even walking in the train station with his book bag and other large container is selling drugs or looking for trouble. Bring the media, bring the news reporters, bring whoever is necessary to aid in the curing of the ignorance that has clinched the minds of millions for so many years. By helping to change the mentality of the public, many young adults that have been sent to jail and/or whose lives have been disrupted will have peace of mind knowing that they can go outside late at night and not have to worry about the police stopping them because they “look” like they might have some form of illegal substance on them. Education is also the key because many people remain ignorant to all of the progress and changes that African Americans and other minorities have made in society today. By doing things like hosting meetings and seminars to bring awareness to the people, most of the ignorance in this country can be cured and many people would be able to conduct their lives freely without fear of being discriminated and judged or without being afraid of people because of stereotypes or discrimination.
FINAL
July 31, 2008
Senator Barrack Obama,
I grew up learning the eminent cliché, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and I can say that on behalf of all the people I know. There is a reason why we have been told that over and over again in our lives because one may never know an individual’s background just by looking at them at a glance. We live in a “post-racial” society where people of color are insulted every minute due to their racial differences. I myself, in fact, have faced racial slurs and stereotypes all throughout my life.
Since most people I encounter lack knowledge about the different people that come from different places around the world, they tend to categorize people into four general groups: Asians, Hispanics, Blacks, and Whites. I was born in India however my background is Tibetan. I find many people having a hard time believing that I was born in India because I don’t look like their stereotype of Indians. Anyhow, I permanently resided in New York when I graduated from the fifth grade. I immediately began to realize that Indian students were being racially harassed on a daily basis. I was not one of them because I obviously did not look the same way as the others; however I did witness many nasty remarks that the Indian or Bengali students faced. After seeing some of the students being discriminated against, I was afraid to tell people that I was born in India, especially when I actually lived there for ten years. I was really self-conscious about where I came from and I was confused about my identity. I didn’t know whether I was Indian anymore even though a huge part of me is connected to India. People did not bother to ask me where I was from because it was a rhetorical question due to my distinguishable Asian features.
I always faced various forms of ridiculous remarks that random strangers have commented on the streets, subways, and just public areas in general. People would always look at me or my family and start speaking in a language that is supposedly Chinese. Some people even ended up saying “Konichiwa,” after calling me a “chink.” It is a bit funny sometimes because I know I am not Chinese and that’s not the language I speak and they are the ones who are making a fool of themselves especially when they were intending to say “Ni Hao”. Once I wondered to myself whether I was just considered Chinese because of the way I appeared to be. Since many people don’t know about the different varieties of Asians, they end up saying, “They all look the same anyway.” People don’t seem to consider other numerous Asian groups and sometimes it is really frustrating to hear when people consider everyone “the same.” Although we do share similar facial features, we all are not clones because each group has its own culture and lifestyle.
Since I came to America I always received one of the top grades in my class. Before that, I was an average student and I never really cared about school until the sixth grade. That’s when I began to realize the importance of education and I understood how lucky I was to have an opportunity in a country where I received a solid education for free compared to India where you had to pay for school annually. I began to work hard and I suppose it paid off in the end. My parents do pressure me to do well in school and people assume that’s the reason behind my success. My parents do push me and sometimes to the point where I get really frustrated; however that’s not the reason why I work hard in school. I don’t strive to do well because of my “Asian” parents. I mean, my parents would still be the same if I were black, white, orange, blue, or green. My family’s value of education will never change no matter how different our ethnicity could've been. I really don’t appreciate when people tell me, “Oh, you’re Asian, so you’re smart” because I want people to acknowledge my hard work and not the connotations of my appearance. Once, I finally got the courage to tell one person in my school that I was from India and he responded by asking me, “Why don’t you have that dot on your forehead?” Once again, someone didn’t fail to make a racial assumption about me.
My experiences are not even in the same category as African Americans, who experienced heart-breaking hardships; however, ultimately both groups came across several different racial insults. In “Uncle Tom’s Children,” Pease called Richard “You black son-of-a-bitch,” after he forgot to call Pease, Mr. Pease. Pease used the term “black” in a distasteful way. I find myself in the same shoes as Richard sometimes because people always tend to call me a “chink” in any given conflict, usually with a stranger. One day, for example, I was walking from school to the subway with my friends and we passed a bunch of boys who were just fooling around on the sidewalk. The next thing we knew was that my friend and I were pushed by one of the group members. I was taken aback and one of the other members responded to my surprise by saying, “I’m sorry, my fault, my fault, it was a dare. Don’t be mad.” I did get mad. He not only was acting like a jerk but he thought the situation was funny. I asked him if there was any problem and he got angry because I replied back. He then told me, “Shut up, stupid Chinese girl. Go back to China!” and that triggered me to say something unpleasant in return. I was really offended yet apathetic at the same time because he knew nothing about me. I wasn’t even from China and I thought it was really amusing because he doesn’t have the slightest clue that I am from India, not China.
Let me just lay it out there, Mr. Future President: the situation is critical. Racial stereotyping is a part of everyone to any extent and people don’t even realize it. As much as we would hate to admit it, racial assumption is like instinct to us humans. Whoever said America is a “post-racial” society is living in a life of denial. If I have faced numerous accounts of racial slurs, then so have others. Racial misconceptions are crawling inside peoples’ minds like a silent virus, damaging the relationships we have with other races. I believe we should take strong action into preventing future racial impressions. How, you may ask, should we take charge with this situation? Well, I’m not suggesting for you to pass out a law where a racial insult towards an individual leads to a fine because that is not realistic. My approach to this situation is if we can’t stop them today, let us do whatever it is in our power to prevent it from happening tomorrow. What I mean is for us to rewind and find the main causes of these racial misconceptions.
One of the major causes is the media which disseminates racial stereotypes and racist language. Television is a part of every family’s homes and “The average child spends 900 hours in school and nearly 1023 hours in front of a TV” (Kids Health). There is no telling what the child is learning from the television and he or she is obviously learning more from the screen than the teachers in school. Kids, knowing their tendency to be easily influenced, are keeping the images they viewed in their minds and are carrying it with them until they learn how to utilize it. Children are picking up on racial stereotypes at the age of three, a time where they are just beginning to learn how to walk and talk. It’s amazing how the television affects our lives because our ideas, thoughts, and actions are all connected to what we see in the media. I strongly advise that racial slurs and stereotypes be censored in the media because racial slurs and stereotyping are present in TV shows, videos, songs, movies, etc. As soon as we see them, our brain processes the information while interpreting it. Kids, who are endlessly watching television, are bound to encounter elements of racism.
So, I believe you, Mr. Future President, should take strong action into changing the paths our future generation’s decisions. Children will not grow as a person if they carry this trait with themselves. People don’t realize the impact racial stereotypes have on society’s mindset. You must advise the media into ending stereotypical roles that actors portray because people tend to direct their minds through typecasts. There is no single rule or assertion that declared those stereotypes to be true. What our children are watching on television solely impacts the way they perceive other human beings, and we don’t want them to view any individual in that manner. An educated human being knows the fallaciousness of racial stereotypes and we want our children to be headed towards that direction. There is a way for change and the future will be in your hands. So I challenge you, Mr. President, to take initiative to make the children of today better intellectual individuals of tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Tenzing Chonzom
Senator Barrack Obama,
I grew up learning the eminent cliché, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and I can say that on behalf of all the people I know. There is a reason why we have been told that over and over again in our lives because one may never know an individual’s background just by looking at them at a glance. We live in a “post-racial” society where people of color are insulted every minute due to their racial differences. I myself, in fact, have faced racial slurs and stereotypes all throughout my life.
Since most people I encounter lack knowledge about the different people that come from different places around the world, they tend to categorize people into four general groups: Asians, Hispanics, Blacks, and Whites. I was born in India however my background is Tibetan. I find many people having a hard time believing that I was born in India because I don’t look like their stereotype of Indians. Anyhow, I permanently resided in New York when I graduated from the fifth grade. I immediately began to realize that Indian students were being racially harassed on a daily basis. I was not one of them because I obviously did not look the same way as the others; however I did witness many nasty remarks that the Indian or Bengali students faced. After seeing some of the students being discriminated against, I was afraid to tell people that I was born in India, especially when I actually lived there for ten years. I was really self-conscious about where I came from and I was confused about my identity. I didn’t know whether I was Indian anymore even though a huge part of me is connected to India. People did not bother to ask me where I was from because it was a rhetorical question due to my distinguishable Asian features.
I always faced various forms of ridiculous remarks that random strangers have commented on the streets, subways, and just public areas in general. People would always look at me or my family and start speaking in a language that is supposedly Chinese. Some people even ended up saying “Konichiwa,” after calling me a “chink.” It is a bit funny sometimes because I know I am not Chinese and that’s not the language I speak and they are the ones who are making a fool of themselves especially when they were intending to say “Ni Hao”. Once I wondered to myself whether I was just considered Chinese because of the way I appeared to be. Since many people don’t know about the different varieties of Asians, they end up saying, “They all look the same anyway.” People don’t seem to consider other numerous Asian groups and sometimes it is really frustrating to hear when people consider everyone “the same.” Although we do share similar facial features, we all are not clones because each group has its own culture and lifestyle.
Since I came to America I always received one of the top grades in my class. Before that, I was an average student and I never really cared about school until the sixth grade. That’s when I began to realize the importance of education and I understood how lucky I was to have an opportunity in a country where I received a solid education for free compared to India where you had to pay for school annually. I began to work hard and I suppose it paid off in the end. My parents do pressure me to do well in school and people assume that’s the reason behind my success. My parents do push me and sometimes to the point where I get really frustrated; however that’s not the reason why I work hard in school. I don’t strive to do well because of my “Asian” parents. I mean, my parents would still be the same if I were black, white, orange, blue, or green. My family’s value of education will never change no matter how different our ethnicity could've been. I really don’t appreciate when people tell me, “Oh, you’re Asian, so you’re smart” because I want people to acknowledge my hard work and not the connotations of my appearance. Once, I finally got the courage to tell one person in my school that I was from India and he responded by asking me, “Why don’t you have that dot on your forehead?” Once again, someone didn’t fail to make a racial assumption about me.
My experiences are not even in the same category as African Americans, who experienced heart-breaking hardships; however, ultimately both groups came across several different racial insults. In “Uncle Tom’s Children,” Pease called Richard “You black son-of-a-bitch,” after he forgot to call Pease, Mr. Pease. Pease used the term “black” in a distasteful way. I find myself in the same shoes as Richard sometimes because people always tend to call me a “chink” in any given conflict, usually with a stranger. One day, for example, I was walking from school to the subway with my friends and we passed a bunch of boys who were just fooling around on the sidewalk. The next thing we knew was that my friend and I were pushed by one of the group members. I was taken aback and one of the other members responded to my surprise by saying, “I’m sorry, my fault, my fault, it was a dare. Don’t be mad.” I did get mad. He not only was acting like a jerk but he thought the situation was funny. I asked him if there was any problem and he got angry because I replied back. He then told me, “Shut up, stupid Chinese girl. Go back to China!” and that triggered me to say something unpleasant in return. I was really offended yet apathetic at the same time because he knew nothing about me. I wasn’t even from China and I thought it was really amusing because he doesn’t have the slightest clue that I am from India, not China.
Let me just lay it out there, Mr. Future President: the situation is critical. Racial stereotyping is a part of everyone to any extent and people don’t even realize it. As much as we would hate to admit it, racial assumption is like instinct to us humans. Whoever said America is a “post-racial” society is living in a life of denial. If I have faced numerous accounts of racial slurs, then so have others. Racial misconceptions are crawling inside peoples’ minds like a silent virus, damaging the relationships we have with other races. I believe we should take strong action into preventing future racial impressions. How, you may ask, should we take charge with this situation? Well, I’m not suggesting for you to pass out a law where a racial insult towards an individual leads to a fine because that is not realistic. My approach to this situation is if we can’t stop them today, let us do whatever it is in our power to prevent it from happening tomorrow. What I mean is for us to rewind and find the main causes of these racial misconceptions.
One of the major causes is the media which disseminates racial stereotypes and racist language. Television is a part of every family’s homes and “The average child spends 900 hours in school and nearly 1023 hours in front of a TV” (Kids Health). There is no telling what the child is learning from the television and he or she is obviously learning more from the screen than the teachers in school. Kids, knowing their tendency to be easily influenced, are keeping the images they viewed in their minds and are carrying it with them until they learn how to utilize it. Children are picking up on racial stereotypes at the age of three, a time where they are just beginning to learn how to walk and talk. It’s amazing how the television affects our lives because our ideas, thoughts, and actions are all connected to what we see in the media. I strongly advise that racial slurs and stereotypes be censored in the media because racial slurs and stereotyping are present in TV shows, videos, songs, movies, etc. As soon as we see them, our brain processes the information while interpreting it. Kids, who are endlessly watching television, are bound to encounter elements of racism.
So, I believe you, Mr. Future President, should take strong action into changing the paths our future generation’s decisions. Children will not grow as a person if they carry this trait with themselves. People don’t realize the impact racial stereotypes have on society’s mindset. You must advise the media into ending stereotypical roles that actors portray because people tend to direct their minds through typecasts. There is no single rule or assertion that declared those stereotypes to be true. What our children are watching on television solely impacts the way they perceive other human beings, and we don’t want them to view any individual in that manner. An educated human being knows the fallaciousness of racial stereotypes and we want our children to be headed towards that direction. There is a way for change and the future will be in your hands. So I challenge you, Mr. President, to take initiative to make the children of today better intellectual individuals of tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Tenzing Chonzom
(Dear Future President)Finale Draft
Dear future President,
Exploring civil rights this week has opened my eyes. It has shown me how many harsh obstacles African Americans faced. It described what many had to do in order to pave the way for freedom for themselves and other African Americans. In today’s society, many African American, as well as other minorities are still fighting for their rights. The rights being fought are not rights for freedom, but rights for an equal education. Fifty years ago education wasn’t resourceful and wasn’t equal to a white persons' education. During the 1950’s, with the Jim Crow laws enhanced education around that time period lacked resources, and this made it hard for African Americans to have an equal education. With separate but equal laws also passed, this ensured people of color equal rights, but still remained separate from the white race. Still education wasn’t equal, during the Brown vs. Board of Education case it promised equal education among both blacks and whites and to outlaw discrimination against the colored race. In today’s society education has progressed but not the progression many were looking for. New statistics discovered that every twenty six seconds high school students have dropped out, this is for the lack of resources in public schools. Many schools are faced with harsh quarters, no textbooks, lack of teachers, lack of classrooms, lack of school supplies, computers and many more. In today’s world with so much technology emerging, education should be well resourced.Urban public schools have the majority population and should have technology such as computers to explore different ways of learning. Schools should have science labs well equipped with supplies. With technology so big in the U.S, minorities should be able to receive an equivalent education to a white student attending a suburban school as well as a student in a third world country.
As I walked into my new high school, I knew it would be a big challenge, the school had only been open for twelve months and still hasn’t recieved the resources it needs for its new freshmen class. As time progressed, it is two years and still no new changes. I know it’s optional to transfer, but this isn’t just occurring in my school it’s also occurring in other public high schools. As a minority and attending a school such as the one I do, puts more pressure on me to be the BEST. No resources located in my school makes it harder for me as a student, with no resources this makes it difficult for a teacher to teach and assign homework assignments and with the lack of homework assignments it will not prepare one for college. Sharing classrooms and lack of teacher’s work ethics puts me in a horrible situation. Many other teens are in the same situation as I am, and this is why I ask you the future president, to fix the education system. Prevent budget cuts and help make urban minority schools equal to an education given to a suburban student. I believe everyone is entitled to an equal education. High school students as well as elementary students, junior high and college students deserve the same education and many shouldn’t have to suffer because of their ethnicity and stereotypes. Education is an important part of life and should not differ based on one’s community.
Discrimination, a word often use by the majority of the minority population, experienced an incident where they have felt they were being discriminated against due to race, gender, personality and among many more. No one likes to feel as if someone is treating them differently because of certain characteristics they possess. This is a disease for which there be no cure. As a Latino and African American young lady, I have experienced discrimination because of characteristics I possess. I decided to apply to travel abroad to Spain during the spring break with ten other peers to tour the beautiful country.
The whole application process was a breeze, in that the Spanish teacher and I knew one another somewhat well, since she taught me in the sixth, ninth and eleventh grade. I was confident she know how I would appreciate traveling and would embrace the whole experience. I was also confident because of receiving better grades than half the students who applied and academic work on the weekends. Still some doubts were in the back of my head because of my parent’s great involvement in the PTA. You would think this would be a good thing for the school, but it was everyone’s worst nightmare since the staff didn’t want anyone invading their privacy and neither did they like being critiqued. Many in my school, began to discriminate against me the minute they knew whose child I was. This fact made it hard to trust anyone and hard to be involved in any activities the school offered. The day came, when we found out who would be accepted to travel abroad and I was denied. Denied? I asked myself, what foolishness is this? I approached my Spanish teacher and asked her why was I denied. She stood quiet for a moment and then I realized she was discriminating against me. I came up with this conclusion because she didn’t appreciate my voice and my speaking horribly about her teaching ethics as well as the schools. What did the other students selected have over me? I got better grades, I fought for my education in school, and I was very opinionated and did things in my free time so why did the students who did nothing? From that day forward my pride and motivation to do better in my school went out the window. Why try when they were only going to discriminate against because of whom my parents are.
When you come into presidency, I want you to address the education system. Help finally bring equal education to justice. Help all minorities get to where whites are today. Make sure all schools have the proper resources to help all succeed. Let’s take the word discrimination out of minorities’ vocabulary and let’s help decrease ability to others discriminate and feel superior to them. All I ask is the NYC school systems be fixed to help ensure better education for the youths to come, I don’t want others to suffer in their education as I did.
Sincerely,
Ronnae Douglas
Exploring civil rights this week has opened my eyes. It has shown me how many harsh obstacles African Americans faced. It described what many had to do in order to pave the way for freedom for themselves and other African Americans. In today’s society, many African American, as well as other minorities are still fighting for their rights. The rights being fought are not rights for freedom, but rights for an equal education. Fifty years ago education wasn’t resourceful and wasn’t equal to a white persons' education. During the 1950’s, with the Jim Crow laws enhanced education around that time period lacked resources, and this made it hard for African Americans to have an equal education. With separate but equal laws also passed, this ensured people of color equal rights, but still remained separate from the white race. Still education wasn’t equal, during the Brown vs. Board of Education case it promised equal education among both blacks and whites and to outlaw discrimination against the colored race. In today’s society education has progressed but not the progression many were looking for. New statistics discovered that every twenty six seconds high school students have dropped out, this is for the lack of resources in public schools. Many schools are faced with harsh quarters, no textbooks, lack of teachers, lack of classrooms, lack of school supplies, computers and many more. In today’s world with so much technology emerging, education should be well resourced.Urban public schools have the majority population and should have technology such as computers to explore different ways of learning. Schools should have science labs well equipped with supplies. With technology so big in the U.S, minorities should be able to receive an equivalent education to a white student attending a suburban school as well as a student in a third world country.
As I walked into my new high school, I knew it would be a big challenge, the school had only been open for twelve months and still hasn’t recieved the resources it needs for its new freshmen class. As time progressed, it is two years and still no new changes. I know it’s optional to transfer, but this isn’t just occurring in my school it’s also occurring in other public high schools. As a minority and attending a school such as the one I do, puts more pressure on me to be the BEST. No resources located in my school makes it harder for me as a student, with no resources this makes it difficult for a teacher to teach and assign homework assignments and with the lack of homework assignments it will not prepare one for college. Sharing classrooms and lack of teacher’s work ethics puts me in a horrible situation. Many other teens are in the same situation as I am, and this is why I ask you the future president, to fix the education system. Prevent budget cuts and help make urban minority schools equal to an education given to a suburban student. I believe everyone is entitled to an equal education. High school students as well as elementary students, junior high and college students deserve the same education and many shouldn’t have to suffer because of their ethnicity and stereotypes. Education is an important part of life and should not differ based on one’s community.
Discrimination, a word often use by the majority of the minority population, experienced an incident where they have felt they were being discriminated against due to race, gender, personality and among many more. No one likes to feel as if someone is treating them differently because of certain characteristics they possess. This is a disease for which there be no cure. As a Latino and African American young lady, I have experienced discrimination because of characteristics I possess. I decided to apply to travel abroad to Spain during the spring break with ten other peers to tour the beautiful country.
The whole application process was a breeze, in that the Spanish teacher and I knew one another somewhat well, since she taught me in the sixth, ninth and eleventh grade. I was confident she know how I would appreciate traveling and would embrace the whole experience. I was also confident because of receiving better grades than half the students who applied and academic work on the weekends. Still some doubts were in the back of my head because of my parent’s great involvement in the PTA. You would think this would be a good thing for the school, but it was everyone’s worst nightmare since the staff didn’t want anyone invading their privacy and neither did they like being critiqued. Many in my school, began to discriminate against me the minute they knew whose child I was. This fact made it hard to trust anyone and hard to be involved in any activities the school offered. The day came, when we found out who would be accepted to travel abroad and I was denied. Denied? I asked myself, what foolishness is this? I approached my Spanish teacher and asked her why was I denied. She stood quiet for a moment and then I realized she was discriminating against me. I came up with this conclusion because she didn’t appreciate my voice and my speaking horribly about her teaching ethics as well as the schools. What did the other students selected have over me? I got better grades, I fought for my education in school, and I was very opinionated and did things in my free time so why did the students who did nothing? From that day forward my pride and motivation to do better in my school went out the window. Why try when they were only going to discriminate against because of whom my parents are.
When you come into presidency, I want you to address the education system. Help finally bring equal education to justice. Help all minorities get to where whites are today. Make sure all schools have the proper resources to help all succeed. Let’s take the word discrimination out of minorities’ vocabulary and let’s help decrease ability to others discriminate and feel superior to them. All I ask is the NYC school systems be fixed to help ensure better education for the youths to come, I don’t want others to suffer in their education as I did.
Sincerely,
Ronnae Douglas
To our future president
Dear President,
If granted the opportunity, I would like to help you see through the veil that impairs your vision of the true problems facing our nation. That veil is the laws which govern our nation, and are used to stop people from acting in a violent manner. Yet laws can only do so much, they only possess the ability to domesticate people and keep our society out of anarchy. They do not and cannot possess the ability to change or alter the mind. This veil being law, is the primary reason as to why we are all still not united under liberty and justice. Especially in today’s society, where African Americans seem to enforce this concept by wearing a mask, and consequently their passive persona has resulted in hate crimes. Yet, unlike during the times of segregation these crimes are currently done in the dark as opposed to the light. Simply because laws have been enforced to protect the rights of all people. Many groups although they possess the ability to see through the misconceptions are still forced to adhere to these laws, in order to keep a civilized society. Yet, things are far from civilized being that people are still oppressed and are not receiving equal treatment. I am speaking specifically for African Americans, who are still being oppressed with very little being done to better their situation. Major changes need to be placed in this nation’s educational system and the way it portrays the media. For which I believe that these are the two deciding factors on the ability of an African American to triumph over the veil therefore, they as a race can end oppression among their own people.
Looking back through history, hate crimes have been committed in the light because it was widely accepted as something that was just in society. Some whites felt as though there was nothing wrong with the way that they treated blacks and they did not have much of a reason to feel that way. However, in the present those acts are no longer tolerated or publicly encouraged. As a matter of fact they are against the law. In today’s society blacks seemed to seep back behind the vague and revive their passive facades. However, facades cannot instill change as seen in the past. By using a different persona you are not being true to yourself, what you show is a physical representation of who you are attempting to be. This is what caused the continual mistreatment of blacks even to this day. The only difference between then and now is that currently it is being done in the dark as opposed to the light. The abuse it not occurring publicly moreover, behind closed doors where in some cases justice is not enforced. Although they might have been fighting on the inside because they did not on the outside it did not benefit their situation. This is why they will continue to be oppressed, until they are ready to remove the masks, concur the veil and make a change.
Yet, this takes some time and due to a lack of psychological development it is not only blacks which are unable to change but also a variety of other races. These races still cir cum to many misconceptions concerning African Americans. Which is that they are seen as thieves, thugs, and being below society. Basically no matter how low you are you will still be superior to my race that of an African American. This is why education is need to inform, I can recall a personal experience where due to a lack of education racism was acted upon me, and at that moment it was suffocating to the point where you had to acknowledge its presence, and realize that it truly exist. This point shows that there is a veil over our society and education should be seen as a way out. Recalling a time when my friends and I were in the mall going to see a movie, before it began my friends and I went to CVS in order to pick up some snack as well as sodas. As soon as we entered the store it seemed as though eyes were following us. At first I did not think much of it, so we split up and worked our way around the establishment. However, it felt weird and kind of eerie, but I could not figure out the reason behind my doubt until my friends came up to me and informed me that we were being followed around the store, by two men. At first I did not believe them I thought it simply to be coincidental so I picked up my soda and gummy worms. However, as I proceeded to the cash register I realized that I could not afford both so I only took the soda. When I had reached the cashier which was one of the men said to be following us he asked me very harshly where the gummy worms were. As though he was implying that I had taken them and stashed them without his knowledge. I told him that I had placed them back but he did not believe me. I knew that he was being racist simply because we were three black people; I never thought that people would actually characterize me and more importantly believe the stereotypes pertaining to black people. That we all lie cheat and steal, which is not the case. This man who was obviously too young to know better, however too old to change his views allowed me to see the world for what it truly was.
Therefore, this is why I believe that change needs to happen in the educational system where the mind is developed and perspectives are made. I propose that if the schools change they can alter the minds of our youths. However, this is not that simple to accomplish being that currently only fifty percent of African Americans graduate from high school in four years and this feet is much harder for those coming from impoverished families. It is more than obvious that African Americans need resources and they need a reason to want to change and excel in school. In the book "The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader" pertaining to the section in which the children were tested when presented with two dolls. One white and one black, these children were asked a series of questions and one of which pertained to which doll did they thought were good and which doll they thought were bad. They asked these questions to black children and it seemed as though the black children for the most part identified the black doll as bad and the white doll as good. Most need a positive role model and an alternative to jail and fast money. I believe that they either need motivation to understand the world and the end which is expected of them. Once they gain this motivation I feel that they will be more inclined to have a desire to work. This is why I believe that firstly change needs to occur within our educational system concerning the youth, for which they are the future. If young children are being raised to feel as though you skin color identifies with your character than they are being wrongly informed.
Change needs to occur in the media as well, simply because many people are influenced by the colors, luxuries and ideas that seem to hypnotize its viewers. If anything I believe that there needs to be more advertisements and television shows that promote black people positively. Moreover where all people are equally represented, not cases in which commercials flooded with Caucasians have only one black child as a failed attempt to reach out to the African American community. In addition, I believe that television should promote smaller things such as more colored Barbie dolls so that the younger generation can feel proud, as opposed to ashamed of their culture. The black community needs to believe that they do not need to be white in order to find their utopia or to feel superior they need to find self esteem within themselves.
In conclusion, oppression currently occurs more in the dark than in the light in today’s society, primarily because laws can change what a person seems not who they really are. Laws promote peace however, what people cannot or choose not to see is the true anarchy behind this claim. African Americans are still being oppressed; the colored youths resent their heritage and identify their own race as evil. Students are not motivated in school which is why blacks are not graduating from high school in four years they are graduating in five or more. Change, reform needs to happen know, and I believe that it starts with the president. You are the Sheppard of our nation and I believe that you have the ability to instill change and make a difference.
Sincerely,
Jolena Jeffrey
If granted the opportunity, I would like to help you see through the veil that impairs your vision of the true problems facing our nation. That veil is the laws which govern our nation, and are used to stop people from acting in a violent manner. Yet laws can only do so much, they only possess the ability to domesticate people and keep our society out of anarchy. They do not and cannot possess the ability to change or alter the mind. This veil being law, is the primary reason as to why we are all still not united under liberty and justice. Especially in today’s society, where African Americans seem to enforce this concept by wearing a mask, and consequently their passive persona has resulted in hate crimes. Yet, unlike during the times of segregation these crimes are currently done in the dark as opposed to the light. Simply because laws have been enforced to protect the rights of all people. Many groups although they possess the ability to see through the misconceptions are still forced to adhere to these laws, in order to keep a civilized society. Yet, things are far from civilized being that people are still oppressed and are not receiving equal treatment. I am speaking specifically for African Americans, who are still being oppressed with very little being done to better their situation. Major changes need to be placed in this nation’s educational system and the way it portrays the media. For which I believe that these are the two deciding factors on the ability of an African American to triumph over the veil therefore, they as a race can end oppression among their own people.
Looking back through history, hate crimes have been committed in the light because it was widely accepted as something that was just in society. Some whites felt as though there was nothing wrong with the way that they treated blacks and they did not have much of a reason to feel that way. However, in the present those acts are no longer tolerated or publicly encouraged. As a matter of fact they are against the law. In today’s society blacks seemed to seep back behind the vague and revive their passive facades. However, facades cannot instill change as seen in the past. By using a different persona you are not being true to yourself, what you show is a physical representation of who you are attempting to be. This is what caused the continual mistreatment of blacks even to this day. The only difference between then and now is that currently it is being done in the dark as opposed to the light. The abuse it not occurring publicly moreover, behind closed doors where in some cases justice is not enforced. Although they might have been fighting on the inside because they did not on the outside it did not benefit their situation. This is why they will continue to be oppressed, until they are ready to remove the masks, concur the veil and make a change.
Yet, this takes some time and due to a lack of psychological development it is not only blacks which are unable to change but also a variety of other races. These races still cir cum to many misconceptions concerning African Americans. Which is that they are seen as thieves, thugs, and being below society. Basically no matter how low you are you will still be superior to my race that of an African American. This is why education is need to inform, I can recall a personal experience where due to a lack of education racism was acted upon me, and at that moment it was suffocating to the point where you had to acknowledge its presence, and realize that it truly exist. This point shows that there is a veil over our society and education should be seen as a way out. Recalling a time when my friends and I were in the mall going to see a movie, before it began my friends and I went to CVS in order to pick up some snack as well as sodas. As soon as we entered the store it seemed as though eyes were following us. At first I did not think much of it, so we split up and worked our way around the establishment. However, it felt weird and kind of eerie, but I could not figure out the reason behind my doubt until my friends came up to me and informed me that we were being followed around the store, by two men. At first I did not believe them I thought it simply to be coincidental so I picked up my soda and gummy worms. However, as I proceeded to the cash register I realized that I could not afford both so I only took the soda. When I had reached the cashier which was one of the men said to be following us he asked me very harshly where the gummy worms were. As though he was implying that I had taken them and stashed them without his knowledge. I told him that I had placed them back but he did not believe me. I knew that he was being racist simply because we were three black people; I never thought that people would actually characterize me and more importantly believe the stereotypes pertaining to black people. That we all lie cheat and steal, which is not the case. This man who was obviously too young to know better, however too old to change his views allowed me to see the world for what it truly was.
Therefore, this is why I believe that change needs to happen in the educational system where the mind is developed and perspectives are made. I propose that if the schools change they can alter the minds of our youths. However, this is not that simple to accomplish being that currently only fifty percent of African Americans graduate from high school in four years and this feet is much harder for those coming from impoverished families. It is more than obvious that African Americans need resources and they need a reason to want to change and excel in school. In the book "The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader" pertaining to the section in which the children were tested when presented with two dolls. One white and one black, these children were asked a series of questions and one of which pertained to which doll did they thought were good and which doll they thought were bad. They asked these questions to black children and it seemed as though the black children for the most part identified the black doll as bad and the white doll as good. Most need a positive role model and an alternative to jail and fast money. I believe that they either need motivation to understand the world and the end which is expected of them. Once they gain this motivation I feel that they will be more inclined to have a desire to work. This is why I believe that firstly change needs to occur within our educational system concerning the youth, for which they are the future. If young children are being raised to feel as though you skin color identifies with your character than they are being wrongly informed.
Change needs to occur in the media as well, simply because many people are influenced by the colors, luxuries and ideas that seem to hypnotize its viewers. If anything I believe that there needs to be more advertisements and television shows that promote black people positively. Moreover where all people are equally represented, not cases in which commercials flooded with Caucasians have only one black child as a failed attempt to reach out to the African American community. In addition, I believe that television should promote smaller things such as more colored Barbie dolls so that the younger generation can feel proud, as opposed to ashamed of their culture. The black community needs to believe that they do not need to be white in order to find their utopia or to feel superior they need to find self esteem within themselves.
In conclusion, oppression currently occurs more in the dark than in the light in today’s society, primarily because laws can change what a person seems not who they really are. Laws promote peace however, what people cannot or choose not to see is the true anarchy behind this claim. African Americans are still being oppressed; the colored youths resent their heritage and identify their own race as evil. Students are not motivated in school which is why blacks are not graduating from high school in four years they are graduating in five or more. Change, reform needs to happen know, and I believe that it starts with the president. You are the Sheppard of our nation and I believe that you have the ability to instill change and make a difference.
Sincerely,
Jolena Jeffrey
What we can and shall do! (Final Essay)
Dear Mr. President,
Our country has been changing in a rate that may be slow for some and speedy for people in our country. There have been things that have defined our country’s policies for others and shown our country in the most grotesque manner. Yet that has not slowed us down for one second and our country has been growing day after day. You, Mr. President may be the light that minorities have been waiting for. This nation has gone through troubling times where our weaknesses have been exploited and shown to the rest of the world. Mr. President, I admire you for being able to have the power to change the U.S.A.’s problems with innovative ideas that have never been tried before. You are the type of person that you have needed for many years; this nation is in your hands and when you listen to these ideas you will most likely be able to solve problems that have plagued our country since the beginning of slavery. One of these problems is people blacks are still separated now from other people and are only being distinguished by their skin color and not their personalities. Another problem would be if these black children had a better environment to learn in, then keeping them off the streets would be so much easier.
The disturbing times that have been shown before the Civil Rights movement include the time period of the Jim Crow “laws.” Jim Crow “laws” were not really laws, but they were more like customs and taboos that the African Americans of the South had to follow or face consequences that may have been brutal considering to what rule they broke. The case of Emmett Till was a prime example of this and this was due to racial barriers in the South also known as segregation. In today’s world African Americans are still suffering the effects of Jim Crow because they are not being seen as individuals to certain people. I have had a water downed experience due to gangs in my neighborhood. The Latino gang and the gang residing in my building were fighting over a girl and I got caught with in the middle because of my skin color. They were screaming derogatory terms in Spanish about African Americans and they only attacked those of African descent who lived in my apartment building. There were a lot of innocent children beaten because of a girl that both gangs thought were gorgeous.
This experience of mine is also related to the book called Uncle Tom’s Children written by Richard Wright and the prologue called “The Ethics of Living Jim Crow.” During the course of the story, either the main character or the black people were called a derogatory name thirty-three times and that is at least one word for each page of the story. The story is related to my story concerning of the gang fights because in this story the Jim Crow laws were separating races and consequences were not proportional to the actions of the black person. This is represented in my past when I was attacked by a group of Latinos, and the reason for this was my skin color. I was attacked for something that is beyond my power to change and I did not do anything to deserve the physical attack. The attack did not only stop at me, but was carried onto other black children, mainly young boys, and the gang that lived in my building had never even try to retaliate. They realize only retaliating would only cause more people to be hurt themselves and the people around them. They also thought that fighting head on with the Mosholu gang was a bad idea because they had at least five times than the measly ten people belonging to the Gang Green gang. This is related to the past because the blacks knew retaliating against the whites would only hurt them more even though in their case they outnumbered the whites, yet the whites had scared and oppressed them for so long that rebelling was out of the question. Kids join gangs because they do not receive the help they need during school or feel that they cannot speak about personal problems to someone in the school and feel that they can find a better family of friends in the streets. Some of the members of gangs may live in underdeveloped neighborhoods where their schools may not have enough money.
There are many things that need to be changed because of gaps between the wealthy and the poor. The gaps are also represented in the education of the children. Those children who are middle class receive a better education than those who are from a lower class. The children are most likely to be a minority when they come from a lower income family. They are not learning the basic information that they need to achieve in life. The students are not to be blamed, but those students who see school as optional are dropping out at an increasing rate. A high school student drops out every 26 seconds according the documentary called Black in America. The schools of America should be a place where people feel safe and can say whatever they want without having the trepidation of being criticized. There are students that are being paid for doing well in school which is also shown in Blacks in America. Do you need something as materialistic as money to keep children in school? Must we involve something as materialistic as money?
My belief is no. A student should not be encouraged by money because at a certain age finding money through drug dealing will become an option for them. This will waste all the money you spent trying to instill the idea of learning into a child who will find the streets and gangs a place where money is not a problem. There is obviously no need to give money to a child who should push themselves to learn because the education that they receive will help them become a stronger student. Instead of giving money to the children you should put them in after school programs which will lead to helping them focused on long term goals. These students need to be taught that no matter what predicament you are in you can succeed in that area. Life is short and this may be something that some kids do not realize and this may affect them in the long run.
Mr. President, the children of your school need better resources and better training for the teachers. The ability of a child to learn depends on the teacher and that teacher’s teaching ability. Yet this is only partially true, if the student does not have the will to learn, then teaching an unwilling student becomes an unpleasant job. Students may not be able to learn because their schools may not have the money to get the supplies they need to help them during class and they may not want to learn because their school may be a place where it is hard to feel where you can tell your personal problems to a teacher. Some schools may be overcrowded which does not allow that one on one time that some students may need in order to thrive in their in learning environment. You can fix this by splitting some schools down into smaller schools or even by hiring more guidance counselors for a crowded school. These children should not be left behind because they cannot function in a big environment where teachers are unable to give individual attention.
The future is near Mr. President, what you shall do will devastate or construct a new country where learning is something everyone wants to be a part of.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Agyemang
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