We Bleed The Same. We Breathe The Same. We Eat The Same. Facts About Racism

“How many Newfies does it take to screw in a light bulb?”

Don’t answer that question. Don’t even smile. It may be “just a joke”, but if you’re a Newfoundlander, you probably don’t think it’s very funny.

Imagine you have blue eyes. Now imagine you’re at a school where everyone has brown eyes. Imagine being excluded, picked on, bullied, or ganged up on because of the colour of your eyes – something that you can’t do a thing about and that actually says nothing about you as a person. That’s how it can feel to be a victim of racial discrimination.

An experiment was conducted in the 1970s that helped children understand racism by making them judge their classmates and be judged on the colour of their eyes. See the amazing results here. The video is at the bottom of the linked page.

Effects of Racism – Are You a Victim?

Caralyn Percy is a parenting expert, community youth activist, and president of The Way To Happiness Foundation International. She’s also black. The first time she faced racism was when she became engaged to her boyfriend, a Jew. His family refused to accept her and even boycotted their wedding. How did she handle the racial hate? She tried to understand their point of view. It turns out that many of her fiancée’s family members had survived the Holocaust. “These guys were just trying to keep their race going,” she says now. “It’s not about me personally.” Today, more than 30 years and 3 children later, she gets along fine with her in-laws.

Why was Carolyn so successful at facing down racism? She was patient, and she chose education over confrontation. She learned about her husband’s family and gave them time to learn about her. Most racism is rooted in ignorance, she says. “I think the worst thing to do is to just go and stir things up with people. It doesn’t get resolved by being bitter and upset about it. Set an example of what a kind, spiritual-minded person would do.”

Watch this video on anti-racism awareness and share if you are against racism today!

[youtube id=”OLriaW8V1Zw” width=”100%”]

How To Deal With Racial Comments

If you are a victim of racial discrimination, you can also fight it with communication and education Talk to a parent, grandparent, tribe elder, or anyone who knows the history of your people. Focus on the positive. What great achievements have your ancestors contributed to society? Now go out and spread the message about anti-racial awareness. Use the information as a project for school, get a favourite teacher to work it into classwork, or just talk about it with your friends.

That said, if you are being bullied, teachers or other adults are discriminating against you, or you feel threatened or disadvantaged in any way because of your race, get help. Your parents are a good place to start. They’ve probably experienced some of the same things. If they can’t help you, try another adult you trust. If all else fails remember that in Canada racism is illegal. You can get help from the police or the Human Rights Commission in your area.

Article by: By Alison Palkhivala