COM Outlook Winter 2021

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 15 First-Person Essays W hen I was growing up in the suburbs outside of Boston, Massachusetts, the demographic makeup of my community was 91 percent White, 6.5 percent Hispanic, and 2.5 percent Black. As made apparent by the data, it was not the most diverse place in the country. I never encountered, noticed, or was aware of any racism for the 18 years I lived there. It was not until I became the minority that I realized how ignor- ant I was to what was going on around me. The demographics shifted drastically once I moved to South Florida to play college foot- ball. The racial makeup of my team was roughly 70 percent Black, 20 percent White, and a mix of races for the remaining 10 percent. It was at this time that my circle of friends consisted mostly of young Black men—a group of individuals who are villainized and discriminated against, which I witnessed firsthand. “Driving while Black” became an unfortunate inside joke within my new inner circle, due to how frequently they would get pulled over for nonexistent offenses, as did “Skop’s driving,” for the fact that my “whiteness” would shield us from being hassled by the police when we traveled to and from places. The more time I spent with them, the more frustrated I became, even though I wasn’t the one being targeted. Black men in the United States are often portrayed throughout Hollywood and in the mainstream media as being uneducated, dangerous, and criminal. Rarely is there a feel-good movie or news report that centers around their positive traits. Back to my little town outside of Boston, which I visited for the first time in a year after moving to Florida. This is when my prior naivety became blatantly obvious. During the many interactions I had with close friends, former coaches, and others, I noticed subtle racist innuendos. I’m not even aware if the people who made the comments realized how they came across to people outside their “whitewashed” bubble. I believe some of these comments were simply said in ignorance, while I felt others were deliberate and said in my presence because they felt it was safe to say in a group of Caucasians. Unfortunately, the United States was built upon the discrimination of minorities. The concept of racial or natural superiority has been embraced by most Americans for ages, and our attitude toward minorities is the product of longstanding prejudice, which is often passed down generationally. If we, as Americans, intend to break this cycle, it must be with a head-on effort to educate and expose the next generation to the realities that surround us—and to no longer sweep our flaws under the rug because they are uncomfortable for us to acknowledge. Derek Skop is a third-year KPCOM student. BY DEREK SKOP Deep - Seated Prejudice Persists