*Disclaimer: The Ke Alaka’i does not take a political stance in regards to recent events. Any reference to Black Lives Matter is to the social movement, not the political organization.
Conversations about racism and solutions to systemic racism have covered news and social media platforms due to protests regarding the Black Lives Matter movement. Students shared their personal experiences witnessing racism and how they stood up for others and themselves.
“I have never experienced anyone being extremely racist until I left my hometown,” explained Jillian Ruby, a junior from Colorado studying psychology and elementary education.
Ruby moved to Australia and said she witnessed racism while working at a bowling alley. She described how there was a policy where men could not wear tank tops, and they had shirts for sale if needed. She said the policy was not often enforced, and when it was, the owner would politely ask the customers to buy a shirt or put one on.
She noticed a difference between the treatment of Aboriginal and white customers. One day, a young Indigenous man came into the building with a tank top on. The owner proceeded to yell at the young man and kicked him out, saying, “I don’t know why you people think you can come in here with a tank top when it says it on the door,” said Ruby.
This encounter infuriated Ruby, and she spoke up. She said, “It wasn’t right for you to treat the young man the way you did... you shouldn’t speak to anyone the way you just spoke to that man.”
She said, “I honestly don’t remember his exact words, but they were along the lines of ‘This is my business, and I can treat anyone however I choose. You better watch your mouth before you’re out of the job.’”
Anna Sheffield, a junior from Iowa studying vocal music, shared an experience where she believed her neighbor racially profiled her for being Black.
Sheffield’s little sister’s kitten escaped and went on her neighbor’s property. While she was searching for it, her neighbor approached her, questioning her about being on her lawn, and she spoke very unkindly. Sheffield said she felt targeted, and it bothered her for weeks.
She said it sat with her for two weeks until she saw her mom speaking to the neighbor. She approached the neighbor and expressed how the encounter made her feel. The neighbor apologized for how she treated her and admitted to having a bad day and reassured her that it wasn’t about race.
Sheffield said, “Not everything’s about us. It wasn’t about me, and I chose to communicate like an adult.” She said she saw from this experience the importance of communication and how it can solve conflict.
She added, “She even brought me flowers and said they were as lovely as me.” She said she moved on knowing she was loved and not treated poorly because of her race.
How to fight biases
In an LDS Living op-ed titled, “Follow Christ to eliminate racism,” Bryant Jensen asserts, “To eliminate racism, we must see its complexity – its interpersonal, institutional and implicit aspects.”
Jensen writes, “If prayerful, heaven will direct us to know who to partner with and how to make a difference. God will call us out of our comfort zones to accomplish His purposes if we ‘yield ourselves [to let] Him know we want to be of use, seeking His direction and accessing His strength.’”
He continued, “In 2006, President Hinckley said that ‘no man who makes disparaging remarks of those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ.’”
Sheffield said sometimes there is nothing you can do to stop racist actions or people. But speak up if you can, get educated about racism, vote, continue to share content on social media of your own or others stories, sign petitions and make calls or emails.
Jackie Morris, a junior from Virginia studying social work, said people could start with the basics. She encouraged everyone to get informed about other races, and if someone says something offensive, people should correct them and call out injustices when they see them. She shared she is finishing podcasts that highlight native voices to make a difference, and Morris said she went to Mauna Kea to speak with the lāhui (Native Hawaiians) to be able to understand their perspective.
Films to get informed
A simple way to get educated on racism is by watching films. One film Ruby shared that helped her is “Freedom Writers.” She explained, “Freedom Writers is a phenomenal movie that’s based on the real-life experience of a teacher named Erin Gruwell. The movie takes you through her first year in her career as a teacher, where Mrs. Gruwell changed the lives of her high school students that were separated by their ethnicities.
“She encourages them to chase their dreams and to believe in themselves. It’s a classic movie that I believe all people should see. It really brings to life the biases that we are raised with and helps us to see just how damaging and hurtful these biases can be to those around us. It brings a new perspective on the lives of others that we can’t necessarily see at first sight.”
Another film shared by Mark Maslar, a senior studying theater and film education, is “Just Mercy.” He shared this movie “is the story of Bryan Stevenson and his colleagues at the Equal Justice Initiative as they fight to provide legal assistance to men on death row in Alabama.”
He added, “One of the best facets of the film is how these men are portrayed, as the film tries to stay true to the events as they happened. Witnessing the cruelty and ignorance that is held by the film’s antagonists, we begin to see another side to the justice system.”
Morris shared she likes the documentary “13th,” which highlights racial injustice in the prison system. “I liked that the documentary is evidence-based. There are voice recordings, documents and testimonies of scholarly intellectual people. To some, it may be a hard pill to digest because there is an agenda to show a failing system, but it is a good place to start forming opinions and rethinking things.”