Race and Your Community, Essay Example

I am a 33-year-old Caucasian woman, living in South Florida. I once was working with a girl who lately moved to New Jersey following her father’s transfer to work there in a law firm. Their relocation was scheduled to happen in a year but she was anxious and very ready to move out of South Florida and could not wait any longer to see it happen. We used to talk a lot about our lives and my contention to continue staying in South Florida shock her, wondering why I still felt like residing there yet being a Caucasian. For several times in our arguments, she could not understand my base of argument. Most of the times, I would argue that the place was great and beautiful naturally and it made me develop more passion of living there for my entire life. However, in private, I still queried myself whether I meant every word I said. I knew she had a good point basing on the state of the city.

I had already let go a recent case of racism in South Florida that involved Mark and Connie Boyd. They had earlier last year decided to leave their home in Montclair and buy a new apartment in Citrus County, Florida. The house was amazingly colorful, pink in color and 5,000-square-foot worth $400,000. However, a mistake had been made and the contractor used a wrong marble tile for the fireplace. A new tile contractor was assigned the task to redo the fireplace. On removing the tile, he came across a small package of a wrapped newspaper. In there were 11 M-90 firecrackers. It was unbelievable that the whole thing was a trap, if anyone dared light fire in the fireplace, the whole building would go up in flames. After contacting the builder, Lexington Homes, the officials of the company dismissed the whole thing as a joke. It was terrible for them having to relocate and rent a house and try selling the Pine Ridge house. An interview with the neighbor clearly indicated that black skin was not acceptable in that region.

Even after recalling all these, I told my friend that South Florida was my home where my family has resided over generations and there is no other, better place than my home. Still, my heart was aching with guilt knowing the reality behind the racism in the state.

South Florida has a large proportion of Black Americans It holds a greater number of the blacks than many other states including Mississippi. The black population comes from Latin America, Canada, Europe, and Asia. As of the U.S. Census done in 2005, the population rate stood at 5,334,685 people, with 2.8 million (52%) being females and males consisting of 2.6 million (48%). The whites are approximately 72% averagely 3,840,973 and blacks taking the rest of the share (Ramirez, 2002). Just like in many other states, in south Florida, if you are not black American, then you are in the category of Caucasians. The region has little diversity.

The strict laws of the land make the place horrible, filled with racism. It gets even worse when you want to meet other people from a different race because they are not anywhere near you. I feel it is nice to have some diversity, in a way that you can meet people from a different race and share with them traditions and cultures, but here in South Florida, it just does never seems to happen. Something else about South Florida is the presence of black Americans in large numbers within the police force and in the fire department as well as local government. However, this does not guarantee a racial discrimination free zone. The police and other people providing services to me have always done it well but from the look of things, I know they always feel uncomfortable in my presence. They do not say a thing, but in our interactions, it still becomes evident. I overheard another black storekeeper back biting my colleague regarding his tendency of talking too much and it hurts me. It has become so apparent among the Americans for instance, I am perfectly aware of the way to choose my neighborhoods. The blacks also know which streets to keep off. Just incase one day you go the wrong way and find yourself in some of these places, for sure you will regret because of the treatment you will encounter. You get some strange looks from the others telling you that you are not welcome in any way.

Sometimes I wonder whether am invisible while doing my shopping in South Florida stores. I went there a day before yesterday and it gave me a shock of life having stood at the counter, waited to get help only to get a strange look and the person who came after me was served very fast. I know am not alone in this, a poll result from the St. Petersburg Times revealed that seventy-one percent of the Caucasians agreed that there was high levels of racial discrimination. Forty percent of the blacks agreed on the same and proclaimed to have been discriminated at one time or another in the public. Out of the surveyed individuals, six out of every 10 believed that the police in South Florida community were practicing racial profiling. Race has become a factor in determining grades in schools with African-Americans receiving a blow on this issue since Caucasians are the majority of teachers (Jounice, 2001). Blacks have been sidelined in many cases and they feel like racism is part of their every day life. I schooled together with a black American in my high school and it hurt to remember how he struggled in English performance all because our English professor was white. A very bright student only managed a C+ yet he could do better than I could and I had a B.

Although it is legal that anyone can live wherever he or she wants, it never happens. Practically people have divided the streets in such a way that there is no diversity. Just mentioning a single street, it gives you an idea of whom you expect from that land whether black or Caucasian. This issue has really been a bother to me and sometimes I attribute all the stereotypes to the event of divisions. I know this is why the people have always been set apart and mistrust developing between the people of South Florida.  In a way, people have developed perceptions of an imaginary line distinctively setting apart people of different decent. People still regard a different ethnic different and there is no surety of who is your friend or enemy (Cathy, 2001).

Tension remains in South Florida residents. Many other aspects of life reveal racial discrimination in the city. It becomes real when you visit some of the dating sites within South Florida. The idea is to meet thousands of South Bay singles but people find themselves alienating singles from a different decent. Local televisions have made it even worse when local television stations employ majority Caucasians, sidelining the blacks fully qualified and experienced to anchor news and broadcast sessions. Only 25% to 30% of the reporters and anchors are blacks. The local stations owned by Caucasians make it even worse because they do not employ blacks literately on racial grounds. The situation has grown worse even after the initiation of Civil Rights Act of 1964 (JOUNICE, 2001).

I love South Florida, and I am not relocating.  I am not however going to withstand all the tension and awkward looks and experiences of racial discrimination. I know there is a way out and I believe there is still time to make a change and increase diversity in our land. There is a lot that needs to change, but it has to begin with you and me. The police force need transformation as soon as possible to avoid victimizing on race basis, our schools also need a change with much emphasis on evaluating on performance and not racial basis (De Genova, 2006). I tend to think teachers laws are so lenient that they never care since they are in control. The unhealthy competition in the business arena also ought to change and build a stronger retrogressive investment in the land. This can only be possible with dedication in every party involved.

It could only start with our little ones. We have been telling them so much negative about the people of a different race and have given them the worst example we could give. Introduction of teachings and guidelines on equality should be introduced in schools. My idea is that the children will grow knowing the right way and soon we will have a better South Florida. For the adults, their minds are already rotten. I have been in public places, tried to talk to some of the people but landing on deaf ears. The best thing is for the law to enact strict rules against racial discrimination. Even if the police force still holds the biggest share of discrimination, I know we still have a chance to change everything and live in a world of equity.

References

Cathy, K. (2001, October 1). UF study: black tourists report wide range of racial discrimination. University of Florida News Print, (352) 392-9092.

De Genova, N. (2006). Racial Transformations: Latinos and Asians. Durham: Duke University Press.

JOUNICE, L. & ADAM, C. (2001, February 18). Its 2001, but racism alive for many. St. Petersburg Times, 1-3.

Ramirez, R. & Patricia, G. (2002). The Hispanic Population in the United States: March 2002, Current Population Reports, P20-54.  Washington DC: U.S. Census Bureau.