Being African American has always been a challenge for people with more melanin in their skin. This group has been stereotyped so many times with so many different things and scenarios that a large group of people will look at a person of color as if they might snap at any moment.
Being African American is a struggle you will never understand unless you were born African American. "The hardest part about being black is that my skin walks into a room before I do in some places,” Kaydence Dixon said. “I’ve been judged so many times before by my skin alone. Some people have never even thought about the other traits, like my personality.”
The existence of slavery and racism was always an idea. An idea that to this day still impacts many lives and fills many minds. Even over 200 years later, the impact of the past still affects the world in 2026. For example, in law enforcement, black people are three times more likely to be killed by police than white people, with only 1% of police killings resulting in officers being charged.
Just like many other subjects in history, we only scratch the surface of everything. “Something I wish school taught me more of is the racism and hate that we still receive to this day,” Dixon said. “Along with the use of the racial words towards people of color and how it's not just a word but how it has a racial culture and a meaning.”
We learn about slavery and acts that were committed against African Americans in the past. Yet we hear nothing past the slavery and the fight they had to go through to gain equality that they struggle to keep till this day. We scratch the surface of generational hate without even thinking if there could be more.
“I was about the age of eight years old, when I was told I would be looked at differently because of my skin,” Lyia Danley said. “That was when I was told I couldn't be a famous softball player because it was a white girl sport.”
One’s confidence can come from their looks, with multiple aspects playing a role in how they hold themselves up.
“I have been uncomfortable in my skin before,” Danley said. “At one point in my life, I thought that being white would mean that my life would be easier. I thought that people wouldn't judge me as much if I looked like them.”
Between the ages three all the way up to eight, kids of color often become aware of racism. After about a year of learning about the idea is when they often get an understanding of how it plays a part in the world. Due to this realization, most people either struggle from a young age to come to terms with the idea that they live in a world with racism, or struggle to come to terms with their skin. Throughout the years of history, the lives of many have been written. Along with movies, series, and all different kinds of media to honor the events.
“A movie that represents black culture is ‘The Hate U Give,’” Dixon said. “It shows that your skin talks more than your own voice. In the movie, it shows a police officer pulls over two teens for no apparent reason. As the scene continues, we see one of the teens get shot because the officer thought they had a firearm.”
Movies have always been a way to have creative freedom for directors and to bring things to life. However, it's also a way to bring awareness to a wide range of people. Even with this awareness, crimes against people of color still happen. Severe or not, it's sad to imagine that some go about their daily lives worrying about something they cannot control.