You are not your skin

It seems like people of color, especially African Americans have a hard time embracing their roots and their culture. Our society makes it appear like skin color defines who you are...it doesn't. In the African American community, the younger generation appears to put African Americans with lighter skin color above African Americans with darker skin colors. Why is it that the color of our skin has to equal the definition of who we
are? Even though we've all derived from the same ancestors I feel like black people still feel the need to point out the differences between one another. Its turned into a hysteria where if you're light-skinned you're favored over someone with darker skin. for example in hip hop music, you might hear a rapper rapping about cars, sex, drugs, and of course women. The women that are described in their songs are usually "redbones" which is a  slang for light-skinned women. When young girls view these music videos, they latch onto the idea that light skin is better, nicer, prettier. While reading an article online at associated content.com, I came across an article about black on black racism: a story about light skinned versus dark skinned African Americans. In the 1984 Miss America Contest, Vanessa Williams, the now famous actress and singer, won as the first African American. Later on, when people found out that she was black, they were shocked because she shares similar features of a white or mixed race person. I think that people in the African American community need to take a step back, look at the bigger picture, and realize that no matter what color we are, we are all the same people period.


Source:  Clark-Copeland, Judi "Lightskinned vs Darkskinned" Associated Content News, Published: October 24, 2009

Muslims facing bias in the workplace

  Recent studies have surfaced showing that ever since 9/11/01, Muslims have faced bias in their place of work. Mary Jo O'neill, a regional attorney for the Equal Employment Opportunuity Commission in Phoenix, Arizona has stated that "There is a hatred, an open hatred, and a lack of tolerance for people who are muslim. The midwestern region of the US including Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico is facing more and more bias each year. Why have muslims become the scapegoat because of a terrorism attack that happened nearly nine years ago? Even though only a small group of muslim terrorists were involved in carrying out the attacks nine years ago, muslims have become branded with an image. This image, which is negative, has transfered into their workplace and has caused an increasing prejudice.

Source:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39081887/ns/business-careers/

"A More Perfect Union"

In Barack Obama's speech, "A More Perfect Union", delivered in March 18 2008, Obama addresses everyone's responsibility to move on from the past. America's past holds many negative images, especially for African Americans who are aware of the many decades of suffering that our people had to endure. Obama's speech raises new possibilities for change in the American public, allowing our citizens to become enlightened with the hope for new beginnings. Obama's want for change is re-iterated throughout his speech several times as he describes the importance of moving forward. "I chose to run for president at this moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve them together...but we all want to move in the same direction : towards a better future for our children and grandchildren." The means by which we as African American citizens in the U.S. can improve race relations is by becoming a more tight-knit community. Putting unity before any other task, eventually breaking the cycle of any discrimination's or prejudices. We must educate ourselves together. We must volunteer together. We must replace jealousy with respect for one another. If we as African Americans could educate ourselves about our past, I believe that the importance of making unity a priority would illuminate itself. Volunteering together as one community could help our bond as one people grow. In order to replace jealousy with respect, African Americans need to embrace their diverse culture and realize that they all originated from the same roots. Ultimately if we can learn from our burdens of the past we can create a positive present day, and a united future.

Source:
Speech "A More Perfect Union" Obama, Barack. March, 18, 2008. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.