When first asked to think about the terms race, ethnicity and discrimination I thought I had a good understanding of which each of these terms meant. However, when it came to writing these definitions down I couldn’t write anything as I found it very difficult to put into words what I was thinking.
This input really opened my eyes into the disgusting behaviour that people of colour have had to face in the past and still have to in today’s modern society. Throughout this input examples such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. were discussed along with other stories such as the murder of Emmett Till, which I was unaware of. The stories I was unaware of have strengthened my understanding of the horrific actions taken towards people of colour both then and now.
Being white, racism is not something I have typically had to face, therefore causing a great struggle in understanding exactly what people, facing racism or discrimination, feel in their day to day lives. In the reading materials for this input there was the Ted talk (How to raise a black son in America) which really gave me a great insight and new way of thinking towards what people with just a different colour of skin to me, have to face in their day to day lives. The way the man talks about not being able “to act like my white friends” is upsetting to think that as a little boy this was what he was thinking and having to deal with. The fact this is then seen as “normal” for these people of colour to think like that no matter what age is disgusting and that just because of the colour of your skin you are treated in such a different manner in the whole of society.
This input has really made me think more about these terms and this has helped me clarify each definition, ensuring I have a good understanding of each term and how they each affect different people in society.
This has then made me really think about what different people have to go through everyday because racism and discrimination is everywhere whether it be within the legal system, other social institutions or by people you meet in your day to day lives. Therefore, I want to make sure that every child in my classroom is fully educated on just how wrong racism and discrimination is to insure that just because of a different colour of skin or religious background, no child is left out or is left feeling like they aren’t as good as the next person because every child in any class should be on a level playing field.
