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