Growing Up Ingnorant Essay, Research Paper
Larry Watters
ENG. 091
Final Draft
GROWING UP IGNORANT
Throughout my life I have usually been on the receiving end of
racist comments. In eighth grade I had to go to a public school
because of moving reasons, and that is where the comments started. I
could honestly say that it was the worst experience in my life. Their
were only two African American kids in my class, I was one of them. The
other kid was also afro American, but the catch there was that he was a
well known football player.
I also played football, but I wasn’t the all-pro quarter back. Since he
was so good and so well know no one ever said a word to him.
The first day at Richland(the name of the school which I went
to) everyone was nice to me. The first couple days were great;
Everyone was so friendly and willing to accept me. Going into the
second week I met this girl Amber, she was beautiful. I was sitting at
the lunch table one day and she walked by and I commented on how hot she
was. One kid, who I thought was my friend, said, “Since you are new
here, I will let that go.” I responded, “What do you mean?” Chad said,
“I like Amber also, and whoever I like no one tries stepping in, do you
understand?” “Whatever dude…”, I said. Chad said, “Now
listen, I like you and it is better off that way.” So naturally I did
what I wanted to do, I asked Amber for her number. That weekend Amber
and I went out on a date. I sure did have a good time. That following
Monday, Chad heard about the date and flipped out. Just after second
period heard someone yell, “HEY NIGGER, YOU ARE GOING TO DIE!!!!” I
sort of had an idea who said it, but I just ignored it and kept walking.
A second later someone pushes me to the floor. I turned around and Chad
was standing there. Chad said, “I warned you, you black piece of *censored*.”
I naturally backed off because it wasn’t worth fighting about. From
that point on everyone considered me the “Wimp who can’t stand up for
himself.”
For the rest of the year my life was a living hell. The only
time anyone talked to me is when someone would make a racist comment.
Half way through football season I quit because I was treated like crap
from my fellow football members and coach. Later on that year a kid
named Matt Flynn made a racial comment. I was in such a bad mood so I
punched him in the face. The fight was broken up right away, and we were
both sent to the principal’s office. When we got there, I was the one
that was punished and Matt was left off with no punishment. I found out
later that week that the principal was racist against black people. I
had no idea what to do, so I just left it go and
told no one. Both my parents and the school guidance counselor noticed
that I was having some problems. I refused to tell anyone what was a
matter, and I told everyone just to leave me alone. That was the first
time that I ever felt ashamed about being black. I felt like I was the
most worthless thing in the world. I didn’t know what to do. I was not
only having problems in school, I was also having family problems. I
heard my parents say things about me that I thought I would never hear
in my life.
Then I started thinking about who in my life really cared. Memories
Of my father and I going hunting, the good times my cousin Greg and I
had together, and the things that my two brothers, Ben and Dave, have
done for me. About a month later, I looked at everyone that pick on me.
I noticed that the kids, I went to school with at Richland, were totally
ignorant about racism. The kids at Richland were never taught what
discrimination could do to someone, mentally and physically.
In the world today, their are a variety of stereotypes put on
all races. Ignorance is the origin of these stereotypes. Kids today
should be educated on what racial discrimination could do to someone.
In Ronald Takaki’s article A Different Mirror he says “‘…white
Americans will become a minority group’”(p. 334). “By 2056, most
Americans will trace their descent to ‘Africa, Asia, the Hispanic world,
the Pacific Islands, Arabia-almost anywhere but white Europe.’ This
dramatic change in our nation’s ethnic composition is altering the way
we think about ourselves”(p. 334). People today are scared of what they
don’t know; they are scared of what might happen to them and of change.
“‘ The deeper significance of America’s becoming a majority nonwhite
society is what it means to the national psyche, to individuals’ sense
of themselves and their nation – their idea of what it is to be
American’”(p. 334). “Certainly one crucial way is for our society’s
various ethnic groups to develop a greater
understanding of each other”(p. 337). Majority of the people today do
have some sort of discrimination. Some are against homosexuals, African
Americans, Jews, Asians, and other races that are different from
oneself. Just because someone looks different than
someone else, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are different.
understand that other races are actually very much alike.