#BlackLivesMatter Movement

How you can help make a change for the black community

Hennia Blackwell / Staff Writer

I am biracial, my father is Afro-American and my mother is Filipino. Many wouldn’t know that I am mixed if they have ever seen me, but I perceive myself as a black woman. It can be a struggle to get by when you are mixed because of being racially categorized. Whether I am “Black enough” or “Asian enough” at the end of any day, life, or situation, I am black.

Who you are on the inside doesn’t always save you because many lives can be taken on what you are on the outside. That’s what’s been happening in America with black people, they get killed for what they perceive as, innocent and black.

Already in the 19 years of my life, I have been oppressed. I have been called the hard “r” and many other ignorant words you shouldn’t call anybody. I may never understand why people use these words to take down others. All I know is that it’s an uncomfortable feeling that I don’t know what to do in the situation but become the “angry black woman” society stereotypes a black woman. I have been stereotyped in many situations such as being called out that I can’t swim because “Blacks can’t swim” but I was one of the best swimmers of my swim team.

The ignorance only a black person can understand having to go through this on a daily basis.

Being racially profiled by police, being looked as a thug, thief, gangster, and many other ignorant titles. We are tired of being judged by the color of our skin. We are tired of being tired. Not all police are bad, not all white people are racist, and not all black people are a threat to society. But I see differently when it’s a repetition of another innocent black life taken. Why do we continue to live life with judgment and hatred?

It amazes me how beauty is looked upon in this generation, the subjective belief of being other than black makes you beautiful or superior. I have gotten comments like “You’re pretty, what are you mixed with?” I have to be mixed in order to be pretty but luckily I am right? That’s the one thing I won’t understand about being fully black, the more melanin you are, the more judgment you receive.

Have you ever heard of “ The darker you are, the closer you are to dirt.” being more melanin shouldn’t be an entry to hate and it sure shouldn’t be a death sentence. Why is a lighter tone skin better than a darker tone skin? We engrave these lies into each other’s minds for many years now that being lighter is better, you get more acceptance into this world, better opportunities.

Lighter tone skin is given more, it’s much easier for them to get what they want than a darker tone skin person. Speaking on wealth, that is why you see more black people in the province and more white people in high-class areas. White people have more privilege than black people. We need to wake up to the fact that we are all the same, we are all equal to one another, we all breathe the same air, and bleed the same blood, we are all human.

So why is it that the black community has to continuously deal with discrimination, racism, injustice, brutality, and the list continues to go on for many years now. America is the “land of the free” but it’s an ongoing cycle for my community that never leads to actual freedom. Generations after generations caged with fear and pain because of having colored skin.

I continuously hear stories about some black people being afraid to step outside, and never having the chance to return home again because since we are perceived as a threat to society, they are afraid they won’t make it back home to their families. We live in a world where true reality is covered because even if slavery and segregation have ended for the many years now, racism has never left the building.

Racism has always been hidden because of how uncomfortable it makes us feel dealing with it. We put off these problems and deal with them later. But imagine being the one who has to live with it constantly and can’t put off that hate for later. We continuously have to fight for justice and equality. Society talks about the problem for a good period of time then moves on from it like it’s a trend but the problem never goes away.

We can’t ignore the problems that are happening in front of our faces. You can’t hear these constant issues and be deaf to it. America has stolen many things since the beginning of time starting with land and innocent lives are part of that. I constantly say “wow another one?” another innocent black life taken.

My father was a black activist of the black panther movement, he was born in the reconstruction era. He has gone through it all dating back to the segregated days and all of the trials and tribulations of the black struggles.

Although there has been improvement overtime on this social issue, it breaks my heart that my dad and my people have to deal with this debate that’s been going on for centuries now on getting human rights. I talked to my dad about this issue all the time and he said “I’m glad this fight isn’t over” and it won’t be over until we get what we want.

How are we able to feel safe in an environment of people who are supposed to serve and protect us but they are the ones who are harming us? Who do we go to when we need most protection? What can we do? In order to want change, we have to make a change. It’s not gonna take a group to see improvements, it takes everyone to overcome the systematic racism society allows and slips by.

That is why I wanted to make a resource on how you can help black lives so that more people don’t end up like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the many other innocent black lives taken away from us. I believe that as a whole, we can be the protection we need for each other, we can beat the systematic racism that has been occurring. It is up to all of us to have that voice, take action to this problem, and not be silent.