Melanie Choe, PD8, 9/29/20, Day C

 

• What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?

• How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences and how these can influence your perception of self and others?

Melanie Choe

Modern Mythology 

Ms. Fusaro

9/29/2020

Issues of inequity and oppression span across multiple generations, various demographics, and are a part of many different histories. Our current political and social climate, however, draws attention to the years of systemic racism and police brutality the African American community has faced. Systemic racism refers to the systems in place that serve to place a certain social or ethnic group in a better position to succeed, while simultaneously placing other groups at a disadvantage, resulting in these issues of inequity and oppression. Systems such as the stop and frisk program allow police officers to detain someone for questioning with the belief that the person is involved in a crime, only to lead to innocent black and Latino people being targeted. Another system is the school to prison pipeline, in which black and brown students from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to become incarcerated because of the harsh punishments they are more likely to receive than their white peers, especially if there is a police presence in the school. Despite systems such as these examples, there are those who believe that systemic racism is purely just a myth, but the  murders of innocent African Americans such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor cannot be simply justified. These past few months, we have witnessed a shift in awareness and the shouting of hundreds of names whose deaths cannot be simply justified. It is truly heartbreaking to read the stories behind those names, and the pain their close ones have endured must have been unimaginable. 

Throughout this blog, I have been very wary of using personal pronouns because I did not want to add on to the problem of thinking that I am helping as an ally, but in reality I am actually causing more harm than good. I had a recent conversation with my sister who told me, “You think those who don’t believe in what you believe in are crazy, but they think the same about you and their own morals.” And her words made me realize that it is so difficult to change someone’s beliefs, especially if they have had them for such a long time. And of course there are people who are open to change, but it is not my place to be accepting any apology. I am just grateful that I have the opportunity to educate myself for the better and have the chance to witness the beautiful culture of the African American community, whether it is through the