Is It Just My Imagination???

Today, the United States prides itself on its multiculturalism. We claim to be a nation that is very tolerable of the differnent races and ethnicities that continually cross our borders each day. If anyone were to take a closer look, they would see the in discrepancies that still plague the black community. Karen Grisby Bates notes many of the racial slights that African-Americans still endure in her essay entitled "Excuse Me, Your Race is Showing." Bates' essay was written in 1997, and today, some of the same racial slights are still happening.
Most black people today can admit to having experienced at least one racial slight in their lifetime. Some have experienced them at school or work while others have experienced them in public places. We have built up a layer of tough skin, but the hardest thing to swallow is the accusation that we are imagining these things. Many white people believe blacks are just walking around with a chip on our shoulders waiting to expel our wrath. That is no where near the truth. Why does everything always have to be chalked up to our imagination when it comes to racism and racial slights? Is it too hard to believe that there are still racist people in America? It shouldn't be. Racism exists everywhere. It's more than just the imagination, and it's not fair to blacks that people assume we are always imagining things. Few black people walk around looking to be discriminated against, but when it happens, it gets noticed. As i stated before, racism exists everywhere. So, when it comes to blacks, why does it always have to be just our imaginations?

Definition or Stereotype?

In his essay entitled "The Handicap of Definition," William Raspberry explores the narrow-minded definition of "black." He shows how in some instances people view doing something "black" as a compliment, while at other times, people find it offensive. Why is that so? It is no secret that many entertainers and athletes are black, but to think that that is all black people are good at is absurd! Sadly, this is the case for many young black children today. This is a major result of how the world has defined what it means to be black. William Raspberry wrote his essay in the eighties. It was a time in which many of the opportunities for black people were limited though not completely cut off. That being said, black people took advantage of the few opportunites that were possible, and the exceptional few went on and conquered fields that were thought of as unattainable to blacks. These fields were usually dominated by whites. Many of those same fields are still currently dominated by white people, and blacks continue to shy away from them.
Today, too many young black chilldren do not live up to their full potential for fear of acting "white." They want to be seen as black in every sense of the narrow-minded definition that has plagued the black community for years. I see that as a pure act of foolishness, but to the young girls and boys that want to fit in, it is an entirely different matter. What they fail to realize is that being black is about more than being a great athlete, entertainer, ect. We can be ANYTHING that we choose to be as long as we work hard and strive for it no matter what.
It hurts not only black children but all children who feel they have to live by certain standards of their race. The things that are defined as being "black" or "white" or even "chinese" are merely stereotypes that can indeed be broken. Too many children are not able to be the best they can be because of what they feel they are not suppose to do. This is the biggest handicap of all.

Hut Building

In her essay entitled "Gikuyu Industries: Hut-Building," Jomo Kenyatta describes the process of building a hut. This process is used by the Kikuyu people. It is a process that is very sacred to the Kikuyu people, and it is a long process that cannot be completed in just a few hours. This process varies greatly from the American tradition of building a house in many ways. In building a house, many Americans simply pick and buy the land they wish to build on. There are no special ceremonies that proceed building. The same thing can't be said for the Kikuyu people. Before building a hut, a fire is lit on the ground where it is going to be built. Also, there are seperate huts built for the women and men for their private use. In America, this is like having seperate rooms. A man can have his study and a woman can have her sewing room. The Kikuyu people also put much emphasis on a ceremony that precedes building. They have a big dinner and invite all of the participants to join and be merry. This differs greatly from American culture in that Americans don't normally build their own houses. Most times, a contractor is contacted and a construction company soon follows. Although the processes vary greatly, the end result it always the same-a place to stay and lay your head. The Kikuyu people have an interesting and profound process of hut building.

Slave Resistance

   Few people agree with the institution of slavery. I am included in that number. The thing I hate most about slavery is the brutal treatment of the slaves by some of the slavemasters. Therefore, I was excited to read an essay entitled "Slave Resistance" written by John Hope Franklin. In short, the essay talked about the many different types of resistance used by slaves in the South. After reading the essay, I felt an array of emotions with the dominant ones being shock/horror and amazement/wonder. I was very shocked because many times books and movies portray slaves as being submissive and dormant to authority--in this case their slave masters. After reading "Slave Resistance" I realized this was not always the case.
    Slaves went to many extremes to escape the harsh life of slavery and resist. Harriet Tubman is a very notable figure in black history with her operation of the Underground Railroad. Through her, many slaves were able to escape, but those that were not able to escape went to sometimes extreme measures in resisting their slave owners. I was both horrified and amazed when I read about the different forms of resistance used. The forms of resistance included self mutilation, destroying different tools, and revolting. Suicide was a form of resistance that I found out was very common. I would not say I was ignorant to the fact that slaves resisted, but I never knew the extent to which they resisted. My eyes were opened because I realized that there was a time when people would rather kill themselves than live another day of their lives. Being that I did not grow up in slavery but as a free individual, I don't think I could have EVER lived under a slave master and be treated in such harsh and brutal ways!!! I believe that I, too, would have killed myself or tried to run away. I say that, yet, in reality, I do not believe I would have had the strength or willpower to physically injure or kill myself. So, in my opinion, slaves were very strong individuals. They each had minds of their own and were not submissive or dormant to authority. John Hope Franklin makes this very clear in his essay entitled "Slave Resistance."