After reading this essay by Richard Wright, a got a peek into a different life. A life I never lived nor saw. It was strange to read about the things that he went through, he made it all seem fights between african american teenagers and white than it would be today. Where if something like that happened in McFarland today, it would be the talk on the street for a long time. The world changes more than people realize, and reading this essay gave me glimpse of just how much it can.
It made me sad to think that someone has to be scared of other people just because of the color of their skin. I mean it really shouldn't matter, but sadly it did and in some places still does. I could never imagine living the way Wright had to when he was growing up. Everyday having to live in fear that someone could, and would, possibly hurt him just because of the color of his skin. It isn't fair.
When I got to the part of the essay where Wright had the job and started asking Morrie and Pease question, they both started calling him the "n" word like it was nothing out of the ordinary. This is another example of how different times are. If I were to say that word around adults and some teens, I would get in serious trouble. It just isn't appropriate to say it anymore. And the way that Wright was treated at his job was mind blowing. I mean I knew things like this did happen during this time but to read/hear it from someone it happened to? It was sickening, and terrifying.
Really reading this entire essay made me realize how sick people can truly be. To know that innocent people would get beat, arrested, and mistreated for one reason was just wrong. It still is wrong. After reading this I wanted to go back in time and just tell people how wrong it is, the way they're treating people. Just because someone's skin is a different color than yours doesn't mean you have the right to treat them poorly. It really makes me sad to know that people were really bothered enough by the color of someone skin to beat them, and sometimes even kill them.
These stories are the things that have scarred our country. The things that will never be forgotten and are forever carved into the soil of this place. America was never always great, and these stories and the haunting proof of this. Though things have slowly been getting better, they will never be fixed. Nothing can erase the things that have been said and done. And that, is the sad truth.
I hate racism too. And (sorry Mr. Levin) hand in hand with that dislike comes a loathing of American history.
ReplyDeleteNo matter where one looks, it seems, there are more and more repulsive examples of mankind's ugly side in the story of our nation. The Trail of Tears, the Japanese Concentration Camps during the World War, Segregation in general...
Every time I look at a history book, I want to go home and watch Forrest Gump or Blazing Saddles just to remind myself that not everyone has the wool of prejudice pulled over their eyes.
It's interesting to hear this from your point of view. I completely agree with you on everything you say. It's just different hearing it from a different person besides myself or a history teacher.
ReplyDeleteI agree, racism is a tragic part of our past, and unfortunately our present. But we can use the education from this essay and the opinions we formed about to make sure it isn't apart of our future.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad how long this took to fix. It's even sadder that we are far from done with completely fixing it. I'm really glad that we didn't have to grow up in a time where it was both more severe and more common. I just don't get where the racist mindset even comes from. Nobody is born racist (at least I don't think so), but kids were taught where they stood in society based on skin color. The only difference is the amount of pigmentation. It's frustrating for me, and I have never, not once, personally experienced racism.
ReplyDeleteBut is this really something so far in the past? McFarland is isolated, so some people might not realize what is actually going on in the world. Racism is still a very prevalent thing. In intercity Chicago, or even Milwaukee, the "n" word is thrown at people like daggers. African-Americans live the stereotypical lifestyle in the ghetto selling crack to make a living. Hate crimes happen often.
ReplyDeleteAll of this is out of fear, little to no knowledge, home life, etc. It will never be truly erased from our past or present, or even our future.