Picture this: You are one of the very few African American kids in your whole high school. You feel pretty respected and involved in this building but then you see something that changes everything. “Nigger” is written across the bulletin board outside of the gym locker room.
Growing up in an all white town as an African American is tough. You get used to dismissing all the racial jokes the white kids tell you. You learn to accept it when they say, “I’m not trying to be racist but…” You have to get used to the stares when you first start learning about racism and slavery. I am not talking about the quick side eyes – I mean students would actually go out of their way to just look at me. I am not sure why this happened, but like I said, you have to get used to it when you are one of the few African Americans in the school.
With the racial slur, I feel as if nothing proactive is being done at all to make students of color feel comfortable. No conversations. No real information. I am truly offended at the fact that one of my peers had the courage to go and write that slander for everyone to see. It is hard for anyone not of color to feel the way I feel. It is impossible for them to be as offended by what happened and take it as seriously as I do. I feel as if the adults in the school are trying to make excuses for what happened, which is why they should speak up so I do not have to jump to these conclusions.
Should I feel safe coming to school? Some may think this question doesn’t need to be asked, but nowadays there are a lot of unstable kids who show their anger with violence. This written racial slur could be the first step of a hate crime . I should not have to feel uncomfortable in a building that I have to come to 5 days a week.
I think action needs to be taken. The term “nigger” has so much history behind it. It is a heavy, powerful, hateful, and degrading term. We were taught all of our lives how bad that word was and to never say it- especially to an African American. We give this word so much power and unfortunately we gave that power to children. When we were all little, whenever we heard that something was a bad word, all we would want to do is say that word out loud in the context that it is supposed to be used in. It makes you feel powerful above others.
The times where I had to turn a blind eye the most was recess. Kids finally broke loose from their teachers and their classrooms. Kids dominated the playground. We could do and say anything we wanted out there. So when I would get into arguments with my peers about who was better at what, or who won the game, somehow it would be brought up that my race had to do with my abilities or lack thereof.
I am finished ignoring it and so are many other kids in my community. I do not care what the circumstances are, who did it, what it was supposed to mean – none of that matters. I think the right “punishment” for things like this is to be educated. I do not think it is right to just tell the person that what they did was wrong, because they already know that. If they don’t, the educational system has failed.
All students – regardless of race – need to be educated on hate crimes so this is not something they have to get used to because it was a “joke”.
The word “nigger” has tormented African Americans for generations, since the time of slavery, lynching, and segregation. That word is not what is really making me angry. What is making me angry is that I have let myself lose touch with my culture. Even though this incident has brought up some underlying anger in me that I didn’t know I had, I am thankful for it because it has allowed me to engage in conversations that I have never thought to have.
I hope through conversation we can all learn to feel more comfortable with ourselves and others.