Prejudice

Growing up I never really understood the meaning of prejudice. Wikipedia say "Prejudice is an affective feeling towards a person based on their perceived group membership" whilst Google describe it as a "preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience". After understanding the facts of the definition it made me see life a little differently. It made me realise that life isn't easy and that it isn't like what they show you on TV. At a young age things got, well, real, for me.

Being a female, some unconsciously look to define me in a certain way. Being black, people assign a role for my being.

Luckily, I have never fell subject to racism nor have I ever first hand witnessed the act. Maybe it's because of where I grew up, or the people I have been lucky enough to associated myself with. Maybe the day will eventually come that I will have to suffer this abuse. My father has experienced racism, as has my grandmother, so I know this is an all too real fate.

Although not yet being judged by the colour of my skin or by my ethnicity, something I have had to live with, and still am to this day, is prejudice. The word sounds dirty, right? It sounds almost taboo, too much of a sensitive topic to be discussed about. Well, I think that we shouldn't shy away from this truth.

As I've grown older I have also become wiser, wise enough to notice the amount of people who are quick to stereotype and label an individual, and this is not only a racial problem. Prejudice affects men, women, the mentally inferior, the list goes on! There is the ongoing attitude that men have more rights than women (of course, I'm not saying that everyone has this mindset). There is also the attitude that mentally challenged people are ultimately inferior yet there are so many of them who have such intelligence and a will to spread their message of equality. Many are quick to suggest traits of a person because of their race, for example the problems with the American police officers singling out the black race and the misconception that black people can't be from a higher class.

This is only a few things that I have noticed, and I am only 20 years old. I still have my whole life ahead of me yet it scares me that so many things in life are infected by prejudice ways. You may be wondering why I even decided to write this blog post. I felt the need to write it because it should be known not to judge others based on unreliable sources and stereotypes. This world is toxic, and it will always collide with all the beauty in this world. There will be no cure but there can be an improvement on mindset which will help us all move towards a healthier future. 

So here are some tips from me:

Don't judge a book by their cover (this is more than just your cheesy saying)

Don't listen to anyone else's opinion but your own

Learn about the individual and not their stereotypes

I can't wait for the day that segregation and judgement between people subside. But the only way this can happen is if we listen to ourselves and not others. I hope whoever is reading this will be able to have a new outlook on the world. I see the world as a beautiful place of culture, diversity, and expression. How do you see it?

~ Ella