If you look back at my past posts, you will see all my posts are art or art business related and everything else stays separate. Well today I will still be talking about art's worth or connection, but the topic of today is the heart and soul of my art. Social and Racial Reconciliation.
Over the last 3 years protests have taken place to speak out again police brutality that goes without punishment or reprehension. Interestingly enough, many were doing their best to belittle the organized civil protestors movements with phrases such as "All Lives Matter", as to imply that the minority was attempting to overthrow instead of gain equality. The attempt to impress on their advantages and divisions frightened many, even though the goal was safe interactions with public servants and civil respect.
Sadly, we have seen that it took extreme acts of violence, just as it did during the term of Governor Wallace, to wake up the American people as a whole. Both minority populations and majorities. What usually comes after this is the most worrisome aspect for me. In our history, we have seen this same spark of social injustice start both civil wars and civil rights. Many people of my generation forget, or don't know, that the last civil rights bills were signed in the mid '70s!!! That means that racists and bigots were still alive and a normal part of society. How many bills and laws have passed that you think are absolute crap? Now consider being raised by racists who can't even see how ingrained it is into their understanding of how society works.
How often have laws stopped us from being terrible? Gerrymandering is done on the state and federal government levels by those who should be protecting us, yet it is a practice that is live and well. (Granted there are some pros to gerrymandering, that's a whole other discussion) Hateful acts are recorded daily and displayed all over our news stations but we are becoming more normalized instead of more disgusted. This is a problem that has to be fixed on a personal level. This is not easy but it can be done over many years; more importantly, many generations.
Being mixed has led me to experiencing some of the most odd things. Passive racism is something I have felt in many ways. People have run their hands through my hair to feel it as if I was a test subject. If you enjoy someone coming up behind you and putting their hands through your hair multiple times through out any given week, then maybe you should have been me. On my one and a half hour bus ride to school having foolish kids asking me if they can tell me a black joke because they think I will like it. Shortly after, being annoyed by me blank stare. There are so many more things that I honestly thought would be reserved for the history books happened to me after year 2000. Yes, this is the future, but we are not so different than our forefathers. The unfortunate truth is that as the old pass away, the youth has a chance to re-imagine how we can coexist and safely function in the world. Or not.
So many think life is some kind of linear game towards more progress and you don't have to do anything. Change in a good way, will just happen. Well this is the farthest from the truth. As Mahatmas Gandhi said, "Be the change that you want to see in the world." Don't fight hate with hate. Just continue pushing positive messages and love. In this way, your name will become synonymous with love and joy. We won't even have the chance to connect negative thoughts to you because you live in positivity. And in this way we bring each other into a brighter, more caring light. Much Love.