It's Time to Create Political or Social Change to End Racism

Making a change on racism, whether that change be political or social, requires a mass movement of people, people willing to sacrifice themselves to drag the issue of racism to the forefront. This radical movement is required in part because drastic measures must be taken to demand the need for change. In simpler terms, the end justifies the means. Because humans, as creatures of habit, are willing to accept the norm as long as it is accepted by the majority…even if that habit is wrong. This state of mind is responsible for the lack of change we see on controversial issues. If a large part of our society is content just going with the flow, how are we ever going to forge ahead and make progress? An explicit statement must be made to show the truths of their actions. In order to revert this behavior one must forcefully wake the beast of racism from the depths of obscurity and throw it into the light for all to see.

Throughout life we find that answers are sugar-coated. We are rarely given the straight-forward answer because it is not what we want to hear. No woman wants to be told that they don’t look good in their favorite dress…even if they know for a fact that it is true. So instead, we often either lie or find a way around the direct response, but there comes a time when we need to be told those truths. One of these times occurred in America during the 1960’s.

Seemingly long forgotten by the American public at the time, the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed almost 100 years ago, yet little progress had been made since. Yes, slaves were set free and African-Americans were citizens, but they still did not enjoy the same rights that had been afforded to their Caucasian brothers. To be called a racist in the 1960’s was a...

... middle of paper ...

... movements possess the same qualities; a large group of people working towards a common goal, the patience to wait for justice, and a prominent leader. If one piece is missing, the effort will lose steam and along with it support. But if you are able to find a way to combine all the necessary elements, we find that it is possible to break down those seemingly impenetrable walls of racism, and see the light of equality. We have made great strides, but the fight is not over. Racism has no place in the world of today, and never will, but it is upon us to make that dream a reality. We have been given the pieces to the puzzle…but what will we do with them?

Works Cited

Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Trans. Matthew Ward. New York: Vintage International, 1988. Print.

García, Marquez Gábriel. Love in the Time of Cholera. Edith Gossman. New York: Vintage, 1988. Print.