If you think of racism, you probably think of the enslavement of African people in 1700-1800, or the segregation of African American people in 1800-1900, or the Trail of Tears that the Native Americans had to take in 1831, or when Japanese people were investigated to see if they were “dangerous” after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The list of events that contribute to racism in history can go on for pages. But so can the list of modern-day events that do the same.

The dictionary defines racism as “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.” Modern-day racism can go to any person, of any color. But, the dictionary shows that racism can go both ways, but it tends to lean with the wrong end of history pointed towards minority groups.

Now, to get to the point of the story. You could be contributing to modern-day racism, without even knowing it. Have you ever walked past a group of children, just to see them stretching their eyes, and making fun of Asian dialect? Did you stop it? Did you think… why would I? They’re just children. If you refuse to stop racism that you see, you’re becoming a part of the problem. You could be teaching children around you that it’s okay to let racism continue. You’re just letting another generation continue on, the same way you did.

In the same way, have you ever seen a woman wearing a hijab and moved away from her? Why would you do that? Were you scared of her? Did you have a thought that told you she was going to do something, and that you should move, or was it entirely internalized? The War on Terror has made us scared of an entire religion. Is that any way to live a life? It’s almost like a whole group of people being afraid of natural blondes. Of course it’s a hypothetical situation, but it still ties in. Every time someone from the group sees someone with blonde hair, they move out of the way, hide their faces. Sure, they could dye their hair, but it’s their hair. They chose to have it that way, and they love it that way. So back to the real problem at hand. Why would we try to force people who wear hijabs to take them off, or not walk on the same road we walk on, or not fly on the same planes we fly on? We’re all human. We’re all the same.

And I wouldn’t be able to publish this article without mentioning the tragic death of George Floyd who passed away on May 25th 2020. Floyd was not the first person killed by racially driven police violence, and sadly probably won’t be the last. When Floyd was killed, a community of people grouped together to help make the Black Lives Matter movement a larger image to the public. The movement was originally founded in 2013. There were protests, some peaceful, and some that turned violent. There were prayer services, petitions, donations, Instagram posts, there were shirts, wristbands, and it seemed as if everyone was rallied together to stop racism once and for all. And then, it all stopped. People stopped posting resources to help get the officers in prison, people stopped protesting, people stopped talking about the movement in general. It was almost like a trend. Now, a select group of people still have resources in the biographies of their social media profiles, some people still donate to the cause, and some people still protest, and have Black Lives Matter stickers on their car. Now, the point is not to say that you’re racist if you stopped posting resources, or stopped donating. But it is to call to your attention, the fact that the resources are still there. And you can still help the cause.

We have made huge strides towards ending racism. For example, the Washington Football Team changed their name from the “Redskins,” which was racist towards Native Americans, and they are still looking for a new name. I look forward to the day where racial slurs are no more, where people aren’t called “weak,” or “snowflakes” for feeling offended by something that insults their culture, ethnicity, or race. And I look forward to the day where our founding fathers are actually correct. “All men are created equal.”

For more ways to help the Black Lives Matter Movement, go to https://blacklivesmatter.com/