My Experience with Racism

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF RACISM


Racism is a part of life that each and everyone of us has encountered directly or indirectly. The world we live in where our differences are embraced by few and seen as a way to classify races in hierarchies. With this strategic placement comes the feeling of superiority and entitlement, and for those of a different race are seen as inferior. These beliefs are learned at an early age, normally from parents or even elders in the family.
Once this message has been engraved into the minds of the children they will then share this message to the world.

My very first experience with racism started when I was in the 3nd grade at John .G Carlise. There was this boy named Robbie Collins who was white and in my class three years while in elementary school, until we all graduated to the 7th grade. I remember it as if it was yesterday, after lunch we would have recess until our teachers came to pick us up to return to class. One day we were playing basketball outside at recess and me and Robbie started playing one on one and he asked me would I want to play as Michael Jordan or Larry Bird. I responded and said Michael Jordan because he was my favorite player at the time and he asked me, “ why do you want to play as Michael Jordan because you and   him are both niggers?. I simply told him that he was my favorite player and I liked his uniform which was red which was also my favorite color. At the age of eight I was clearly unaware of what had just taken place, and I had no knowledge of the word or what it meant. After school when my mother picked me up all I can remember was that word was still fresh in my mind. As soon as I got into the car I asked my mother “What does nigger mean? She explained to me that it is a derogatory term that’s used against blacks which is used by poor white trash to make them feel as if they are better than you. Then she asked me “Who or where did I hear that word from? I told her this boy name Robbie he is...