Racial Injustice | Was colour taught to us the right way?

Before I just begin expressing my views and opinions in this context, I guess many of the readers might have understood what the content of this article is going to be. Just as the caption reads “WAS COLOUR TAUGHT TO US THE RIGHT WAY?” as it should have been, we can understand the graveness behind this caption itself.

Current Issue

A few days back as I was scrolling through my social media I came across this caption. It reminded me of the deplorable incident that occurred lately in New Jersey. An unarmed black man named George Floyd was caught by a white police officer Derek Chauvin. The officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes. While Floyd was handcuffed and was lying with his face down begging for his life repeatedly and saying “I can’t breathe” thus triggering me to pen down my thoughts against this racial injustice and discrimination. Recently I witnessed a lot of posts, stories, and messages, and agitation against the cruel accident, proliferating all across the media as well as other platforms of expression being flooded with the same.

Although the incident was gravely lamentable. But, besides mourning and grieving over it do, we ever ponder over the root cause of such injustice? Do we ever reflect upon questions like Who told a child that the skin colour should be peach, brown, or dull colour? Who told a child that these skin colours should not be used to represent skin? or What are our ideal standards of beauty? How do we behave and converse with anyone of a dull skin tone? Do we disguise an interaction as a joke on their skin colour?. The list of such questions is endless.

The main issue

While many are against such pathetic practices of discrimination, the greater half still holds on to such vague beliefs of racial differentiation. All people can do is that they lament and think. They can think about such incidents for a short span and then eventually forget about it. Because of the thought that it’s neither their business to think of it nor it is their responsibility to respond promptly in criticism of these issues if at all they witness any such situation in front of them. This primitive mindset of the community is resulting in adverse impacts on mental health as well as the other spheres of life of the blacks, forcing them to face rejections, in spite of having all the abilities. And the practice is becoming pervasive day by day. Not only across the borders but within our country India as well.

Equality Act, 2010

The “EQUALITY ACT 2010” states that “you must not be discriminated against because of your race”. In the EQUALITY ACT “RACE” can mean your colour or nationality. The Act legitly opposes such as discrimination and injustice. It’s a voice to provoke the thought that various shades of skin are not meant for discrimination. They are meant for celebration. “CELEBRATION” of the origin and beauty of originality and uniqueness of skin tones because “UNFAIR IS ALSO LOVELY”.  It is we who form the society. It is only us who can shatter the chains of such dominating norms and standards of racial discrimination.

Conclusion

Acceptance is not a big deal. It’s only the thought that needs a change and not the person who needs to be changed. Instigating a realm of change in society in respect of this concern should be a voluntary initiative by each human being. If this thought does not provoke equality amongst all then several more lives like George Floyd will be beaten down to death. And many will always be treated differently because of this inequality.

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION is also a silent and non-violent crime, one of the most crucial forms of shaming too. Even, “PIANO KEYS ARE BLACK AND WHITE BUT THEY SOUND LIKE A MILLION COLOURS IN OUR MINDS”

Then who are “PEOPLE” to discriminate, it is better to own a character of content than to be discriminated against on the basis of skin colour.

Author:

Aiyasha Angel Briscoe