I won't make excuses for my parents. My mom tries to say that "we were born in a different time." That being the 50s and the 60s. My mom says "I was raised in the south." Bottom line is they are both racists. They don't really think of themselves as such. But they both use the n-word without hesitation or regret. My dad uses the WB-word for Mexican peoples. There is no excuse for racism. NONE!
Both of them like to think that they don't judge POC but they absolutely do. "Why would you want to go to Chicago? It's a black town." A direct quote from both of them. Tho the n-word was have been used at one point.
One time my mom used the n-word and when I told her I didn't like it she screamed it in my face over and over like a 4 year when you tell them the cuss word they just uttered was a bad word. But if you ask her she's totally not racist.
My dad has really proven he's a privileged white man these last few weeks. Some direct quotes from him "Black people aren't oppressed anymore" "There is no point to these protest. People are taking this shit too far" When I said they are still happening because George would be alive if he was white he said "Bullshit."
He has literally say All Lives Matter. He doesn't get that BlackLivesMatter is a movement because Black People and other POC are being killed in situations that white people wouldn't be. He doesn't get that us saving BlackLivesMatter doesn't mean others matter less. it means BlackLivesMatter too.
My mom doesn't really get it either. Though she at least tried. She hasn't complained about the protests or said she's tired of it. Which my dad has. But she isn't non-racist either. She has said to me "when I was growing up n-words had their part of town and they stuck to it." Then she said something along the lines of it should have stayed that way.
I think my mother is a little less "this shit is too far" than my dad because of her religious upbringing by her mother. A part of her is telling her this is wrong while the other part is still living in those racist roots of her father, who, don't even get me started about. I've never heard him refer to a black person other than the n-word.
They both even try to pull the I'm not racist but..." In the words of Ed Stark "Everything before the word but is horseshit." If you say I'm not racist but, you are racist. End of Story.
I have realized there is no levels of racism as I once believed. My parents aren't "lightly" racist. There is only racist and anti-racist. Seeing how my dad is reacting to the protests recently has made me so angry and sad. I am so happy and so proud that I do not share my parents' views.
I am so grateful that I discovered YouTube when I was 13 and found people who were so open and kind before my parents' ideals were cemented into my head. I found a community that was able to open my eyes and save me from there hatred filled beliefs.
The community I found saved me from their racism, homophobia and my mother's hypocritical religious beliefs. I am forever grateful to have grown up in the age of the internet. Had I been born in the 70s like my dad's age suggest I should have who knows if I would have had my mind opened and been the same caring and loving person I am today.
This is a lot heavier than my usual topics but I just had to write this. I had to talk about it with people who would understand. I've been arguing about the protests with my dad and just need to get this out there. Racism is something that shouldn't be taboo. It needs to be talked about. It needs to be worked on. We need to fight it.
I want to close this blog post with some charities and resources for #BlackLivesMatter. Now I'm off to make some BLM art to add to my next shop update to sell for BLM charities.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post! Be kind to one another! And Don't stop fighting for the justice POC deserve!
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