Race is an artificial construct created not to unify a society but to divide it. The word, "race" was used to pacify those who might protest their conditions and to comfort those who felt threatened as members of a minority trying to seize control of the majority. Definitions and delineations of "race" allowed a minority group to control or annihilate the masses and even today, categorizing based on race is used to create stereotypes that marginalize and undermine various cultural groups in American society.
Throughout American history we've witnessed it. The Native Americans saw it first. They befriended the European newcomers but were rewarded with mass murder befitting a nation of "Redskins." Their new definition allowed them to be castigated, held as captives and servants and decimated. Their destiny ultimately hinged on their submissiveness, something they fought against. This country was once their home and their numbers were far greater than those who hoped to subdue them.
Then came the slaves, ripped from their motherlands, denied access to education, friendship, safety and family. 'Divide and conquer" was law of the land but not only were the Africans alienated from those who looked like them, they were also denied access to most everything that rendered them human. There was no way to "pass" in the early years of slavery and blackness was a badge worn by every slave. It was as though all the gods sat laughing even as the captives struggled to escape.
Once the slaves were finally free, they were stamped with official names designating differences in race. The badge of blackness became useful when deciding who could become part of America's elite society and who would forever serve this entitled population.
With the Native Americans it was different. Not better or worse but different in that they were viewed as savages and threats to the survival of the newly empowered American society. Because they were feared, they were held captive on reservations, and once their main source of food was mercilessly and systematically destroyed, most tribes relied on the goodness of strangers in charge for food and life itself.
Definitions of race in America have had devastating effects and tragic consequences. Race is an imaginary line of demarcation designed to keep everyone in a designation place The categories were loopholes for a privileged few and holding pens for those considered subservient and allowed to live if they were obedient, careful and respectful. One false move toward freedom meant sudden death. There was no way to escape the cycle of life interrupted due to lines of demarcation and restrictions by race.
Today, people of all races achieve greatness, but one must never forget about race because it factors into everything we know. Due to race relations in America, life can change in an instant.
Race can affect level of safety, happiness and ability to survive. The soldier (above) reached age 21 but failed to survive.
My opinions are my own, but for a different perspective, visit this website: http://www.pbs.org/race/002_SortingPeople/002_00-home.htm
The King James version of the Holy Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:11 states: "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things..." In Christian tradition, there should be a line of separation between childhood behavior and adult behavior. But today, such is often not the case. Children don't have the same opportunities to grow up, sometimes because they can't find meaningful ways to interact with others and sometimes because their parents don't allow them to experience the raw challenges of life.
Put simply, growing up is hard to do in today's society. Some of us never grow up because we have not had reason to or we don't have equal opportunities to do so. Our parents shelter us, eliminate the need for us to be self-reliant, and protect us from everything with rants and raves against most anything.
Back in the day, self-reliance was expected. At 13, you found a summer job and contributed to paying household expenses. At 18 you found a higher-paying job and moved out of your parents' house. Of course you had options: go to college and find grants, loans or scholarships to pay for it; join a branch of the military and learn a skill or choose military service as a career; find a job, get married and raise a family.
In the process of living and working towards a future, you learned about yourself and about working and relating to others. You had no access to the internet, so everything you learned was from reading or from interacting with family, clergymen, mentors and peers. You read the Bible or you read writers like Kahlil Gibran (Lebanese-American poet and author, famous for his book The Prophet which is highly recognized for its insights and wisdom.)
Nobody said it is easy to grow up, take responsibility and become self-reliant, but where there's a will there is a way. Childhood and adulthood are not the same and the sooner we understand this, the better for our society. We need to step up, wo/man up and put away childish things. We need to accept our role in building a better society. If not you and me, then who shall it be?
Kahlil Gibran was born in 1883 in Lebanon and died in New York in 1931. His family emigrated to the United States in 1895. In his early teens, the artistry of Gibran's drawings caught the eye of his teachers and he was introduced to the avant-garde Boston artist, photographer, and publisher Fred Holland Day, who encouraged and supported Gibran in his creative endeavors. A publisher used some of Gibran's drawings for book covers in 1898, and Gibran held his first art exhibition in 1904 in Boston. In 1908, Gibran went to study art with Auguste Rodin in Paris for two years. He later studied art in Boston. While most of Gibran's early writing was in Arabic, most of his work published after 1918 was in English. Gibran's best-known work is The Prophet, a book composed of 26 poetic essays. Resource: (www.sahajaculture.org)
