Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions
Let Them Play!
As much as we would like to hope
racism does not exist in a land where it is claimed to be free, unfortunately
in all reality it does. After dealing
with days of rain and trying to keep the children interested, occupied, and
active we decided to take the children to the local playground for a nice
afternoon of play. We noticed several
other children playing on the play scape and the children quickly scattered to
join them. Screams of joy rang through
the park and it appeared the children were all getting along. After a few minutes of play one of the
children came anxiously patting me on my leg.
Tears streaming down her face she
said, “Miss Roz, Miss Roz! That lady
said her daughter can’t play with us.”
Thinking it was a big a misunderstanding I consoled the child and walked
over to the lady and overheard her telling her child, “I don’t want you playing
with them.” Immediately, I went into
defense mode and ask the lady what she meant by that and she advised me she
doesn’t allow her children to play with blacks.
All I can say it’s small-minded
people living in such a diverse world with thoughts and actions of racism such
as this that still exist. I felt the
need to explain to this child that there are other children see can play with
here and embraced her with the love I only know. I believe her feelings were formed from
something that happened in her past and she is now passing those same feelings
on to this little child, unaware of the damage it has done to herself. No one
is born racist. Racism is taught (Margles & Margles, 2010). I believe although putting a stop to racism
is a long ways away I strongly believe we can make steps towards this stop.
Discrimination, prejudice, or stereotypes
of any sort or kind only shows a person’s ignorance to the real world. The world is so diverse. Our cultures differ, our skin color differs,
our beliefs differ, our family structures differ, our abilities differ, and our
values differ. This list could go on and
on. The fact is no two people are alike
regardless to what. Once we understand
that then we will be able focus on what’s important and not that unnecessary stuff!
References
Margles, S., & Margles, R.
M. (2010). Inverting racism's distortions. Our Schools/Our Selves, 19(3),
137--149. Retrieved from the Walden Library
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