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Abstract

ding the fire of the social evil.Moving out of home and into an entirely new city for college, sure did unwrap an array of surprises, not all of them appealing. It wasn’t long before I began feeling out of place.All my conversations invited variations of the same assumption: “We thought people from there were like this”. While the assumptions became a relatively easier pill to swallow, ‘jokes’ began to swarm the scene. A stroll through the corridor, would invite remarks like ‘who allowed the black people here?’ and segregative comments that targeted a section of people who hailed from a certain part of the country.They were phrases that belittled our presence simply for belonging to a certain part of the country and proudly adorning a skin colour darker than the vast majority. I had it easier compared to a lot of others, owing to my lighter complexion, but the pain to be a spectator of the prejudistic ideologies, outright disgusting terms used to take a dig at someone’s colour, and personal attacks in the midst of a conversation, was undeniably excruciating. It felt like we were always going to be lesser and lost in a place that failed to identify us as we were.Friends were being addressed and looked down on, with racist slurs which some of them ignored as a ‘friendly dig’ or to avoid a ‘hopeless conversation’. All of us felt the pain equally, but some of us gave up taking offence. Their lack of frus

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tration was justifiable, because as 18 year olds, all we wanted was acceptance.We knew how it is not to be accepted for who we are, so some of us began being accepted for being what they thought we were.I could never brush off the prejudice and racism as mere ‘jokes’, even when it was not particularly aimed towards me because we are as normal and equal as any of you. No more do I want anyone to hurt inwardly for the lack of acceptance.So, to all those people (only a handful in college but countless in the world) who have indulged in this disgraceful practice,Stop directing demeaning words that easily belittle an entire segment of human beings.Casual racism has to stop.Believe and practice equality rather than supremacy.To anyone and especially those, for who this message is aimed at, call out yourself, and stop spreading hate. It is okay to unlearn certain things and change your ideologies.If you have a friend who needs to see this, or you have been at the receiving end and don’t want to start ‘that’ conversation, please speak up for yourself, because you may be able to cut the roots off before they grow deep.No one deserves to feel inferior on the grounds of their race.It is not a ‘joke’, it was never one.Let them know it. Spread the message.</article></body>

Racism Turned Up as a College Mate

How casual racism is birthing structural racism

A major fraction of the news and information that you and I have been consuming for the past few days have predominantly involved strong messages against racial discrimination, structural racism, and racial supremacy.

But, is it just another one of the movements that are gradually going to die down, forcing us to go back to an undesirable state of normalcy?

Are we responsibly consuming this information and welcoming introspection or do we fail to recognise it’s prevalence and relevance closer to home?

Are we ready to accept and then reject the everyday racism that continues to thrive amidst us, slowly seeping into the boundaries of institutionalisation?

For long, we have feared the repercussions of calling out known faces for indulging in unjust and undesirable behaviour. Remaining selectively silent and hesitating to stand up against these acts, thoughts and words that carry forward the idea of racism, has only been aiding the fire of the social evil.

Moving out of home and into an entirely new city for college, sure did unwrap an array of surprises, not all of them appealing. It wasn’t long before I began feeling out of place.

All my conversations invited variations of the same assumption: “We thought people from there were like this”. While the assumptions became a relatively easier pill to swallow, ‘jokes’ began to swarm the scene. A stroll through the corridor, would invite remarks like ‘who allowed the black people here?’ and segregative comments that targeted a section of people who hailed from a certain part of the country.

They were phrases that belittled our presence simply for belonging to a certain part of the country and proudly adorning a skin colour darker than the vast majority. I had it easier compared to a lot of others, owing to my lighter complexion, but the pain to be a spectator of the prejudistic ideologies, outright disgusting terms used to take a dig at someone’s colour, and personal attacks in the midst of a conversation, was undeniably excruciating. It felt like we were always going to be lesser and lost in a place that failed to identify us as we were.

Friends were being addressed and looked down on, with racist slurs which some of them ignored as a ‘friendly dig’ or to avoid a ‘hopeless conversation’. All of us felt the pain equally, but some of us gave up taking offence. Their lack of frustration was justifiable, because as 18 year olds, all we wanted was acceptance.

We knew how it is not to be accepted for who we are, so some of us began being accepted for being what they thought we were.

I could never brush off the prejudice and racism as mere ‘jokes’, even when it was not particularly aimed towards me because we are as normal and equal as any of you. No more do I want anyone to hurt inwardly for the lack of acceptance.

So, to all those people (only a handful in college but countless in the world) who have indulged in this disgraceful practice,

Stop directing demeaning words that easily belittle an entire segment of human beings.

Casual racism has to stop.

Believe and practice equality rather than supremacy.

To anyone and especially those, for who this message is aimed at, call out yourself, and stop spreading hate. It is okay to unlearn certain things and change your ideologies.

If you have a friend who needs to see this, or you have been at the receiving end and don’t want to start ‘that’ conversation, please speak up for yourself, because you may be able to cut the roots off before they grow deep.

No one deserves to feel inferior on the grounds of their race.

It is not a ‘joke’, it was never one.

Let them know it. Spread the message.