Dear White People!
I know, I know! But before you judge, why don’t you give it a read first. Do take the time and finish the whole story. I would also like to know people’s thoughts, so leave a comment below.
So I decided to take a day off from coding to binge watch a new show called #DearWhitePeople. Dear White People is an American satirical comedy-drama television series on Netflix based on the 2014 film of the same name ‘Dear White People’. It follows a group of students of color at a predominantly ivy league white school.
According to Justin Simien, writer, and director of Dear White People “ It isn’t about ‘white racism’ or racism at all. It is about identity. It’s about the difference between how the mass culture responds to a person because of their race and who that person understands themselves to truly be. All explored through the microcosm of a success-oriented Ivy League college.”
If you haven’t seen it yet, I definitely recommend.
Spoiler alert. While it started off with a few over exaggerated sexual scenes, and light playful scenes. The plot took on a very dark note just by the ending of episode 4 when a student decided to fly and ended up dead. And I was crying my eyes out by the ending of episode 6.
If I remember correctly, I first learned what the term racism, discrimination, stereotypes, etcetera, was in year 10 of High School. It was in a Health and Social Care class. I remembered we had a debate afterward. Even being one of the only two black people in the class, I didn’t really realize the severity of the words at the time.
At that age, have never really considered that it matter what race your from, or of what importance it holds. I always treated everyone the same regardless of their sex, color or race. Unless it was someone I didn’t like, then I am less friendly.
According to Monica Crowley “True equality means holding everyone accountable in the same way, regardless of race, gender, faith, ethnicity or political ideology”.
Growing up, I was alway teased because I had a light complexion. I have to admit at times, I liked being light skinned, because it made me stand out from everyone else. I was proud of it, (and not for the reason you might be thinking) I was just happy to be a bit different.
Growing up people always assumed I was mixed raced, maybe am from South Africa or Jamaican. I still get that now. I always wonder why? I remember asking why once in high school, when one of my classmate, asked me why I had a lighter complexion. His reply was “because people from Africa are only dark skinned, just as he seen on TV”. At that time in high school, TV validated everything. If it on TV it must be true.
So back to the show, I bet you are all wondering what my thoughts are.
While some of these racism issues were not something have experienced personally, it did hit close to home. As I am a Black African and British Woman. And on one too many occasions, I personally have felt racial discrimination.
While I do live in the UK and it does have a low rate of racism events.… Racism does exist in the UK, maybe not on the same enormous level as it is in the United States.
While it easier to think racism happens to just black people, I know it affects different ethnic minority also.
I mean just a month back, my best friend was rudely propositioned on tinder, by a white guy. He basically called her a prostitute. After she turned him down, pissed off and angry, his reply was ‘your from the Philippines aren’t you!’. I know right! what a d**k.
I mean I went to a majority white student, high school, and university. I worked at the Co-op, where the ratio of black to white was 1 to a 100. Have had a few instance in which I have even wanted to go into my own Dear White people rant. Such as..
Dear White People, do not stick your hands in my hair without permission, it is just plain rude, and it not a toy for you to play with.
Dear white people, just because I have an opinion doesn’t make me rude, this is to the Co-worker that told me I have too many opinions and is not acceptable, like I don’t have the rights to my own opinions.
Dear white people, just because am black doesn’t mean am like every other black person. This is to the Co-worker that compare me to a previous black coworker that looked nothing like me, except that she was black.
Dear white people, saying the N word casually and has a joke is not funny, please refrain from using the word in my presence, I find it offensive.
Dear white people just because my food smells different doesn’t give you the right to tell me I shouldn’t bring it to work.
Dear white people, I am taking a stand and will no longer stand for your racist comments any longer.
Trust me, the list is never ending. However, while this is title Dear White People, I will like to extend this also to everybody, regardless of race.
It’s time we become more self-aware of what comments we put out into the world’s, of our action and inaction. Of the consequences of our words. It is not just racism, it’s sexism, homophobic …
While I think this won’t change just easily because progress is always one step forward, two steps backward. The least we can all do is educate ourself on race and all racial matters.
It is important that we start considering the impact that our words and actions have on others. To educate ourselves on what is not acceptable to do and say to others either because of their race, sex, or sex orientation.
While I was quite disappointed with the way the show ended, am still glad I watched it. It motivated me to find my voice and have a say on the matter.
And I want to say that while the #BlackLifeMatters movement is going on at the moment, I also want to remind everyone that all life’s do matter. Be it black, white, brown or yellow, we are all human beings and it about time we all start treating each other as such. To give the same treatment you would want to receive.
Well, it time to say thanks for taking the time and reading. I will like to leave you with this quote from Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom.
No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.
