Hello sweet angels, I hope you all are taking time to go outside and be grateful for the beaming sunshine. Recently, in light of what has been happening in the world I’ve taken a step back from posting on social media and have been absorbing other people’s perspectives. In my opinion, with what we are going through in the world right now I think it is best to revert back from focusing on ourselves and work together as a human race to ensure that everyone feels their life is meaningful. It breaks my heart to see so much destruction, prejudice and pain. Seeing all of these celebrities, influencers and friends posting their support to achieve racial equality is inspiring. In a world where we are so divided, it is magnificent to see how many individuals coming together for justice. Of course, in our generation there are so many people who do things without having any sort of genuine intention and do not actually care about achieving change. Simply, people just mindlessly posting things just to say that they did it, when the reality is some people just want that validation of seeming like a good enough person.
Without the black community, life would not be the same as it is now. Some of my favorite fashion trends actually originated from the black community. Nail art and having an aesthetic of long, elaborate nails has been a staple trend for the black community. This was a way that women used to express themselves and featured their own personality through their nail art. People used to refer to this nail trend to be “ghetto” since it was not a basic French tip or nude nail that a white woman would typically get. This trend of having intricately designed nails has become more commonly associated with the Kardashians versus the actual black women who made them popular. Sneaker culture is a trend that has become more popularly accepted as a source of style, comfort and personality. In the 70s, the perspective of sneakers changed since they were closely connected to basketball and hip hop. There are so people who did not agree with hip hop and the message that it conveyed, so people assumed everything was bad about it; from the individuals who rapped and wore clothes that supported the music. Without the black community, we would not have any concept of streetwear, whether it be high-end or everyday clothes. This trend originated from individuals wearing their everyday clothes and how black owned brands became increasingly popular in the 90s, which then caused white owned brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren to enter in this market. One final staple, accessory that everyone has in their closet is a pair of gold hoops or chunky jewelry. In the 60s, wearing large, gold hoops became popular for women of color to wear in streetwear because it was a way for them to embrace their culture. Later on, in the 70s, 80s and 90s, this trend of wearing chunky, gold jewelry was an iconic accessory in streetwear, clubwear and in the hip hop and rap scene. There are many other communities that use gold jewelry as a representation of their culture, but the black community recognizes this a freedom and it gave them a sense of unity in a white-washed world where they have been deemed this accessory choice as being “ghetto.”
Since I am not black, I will never be able to completely understand this community’s everyday fears and how much society has done to intentionally preserve this inhumane inequality they struggle with everyday. However, this doesn’t mean that just because I don’t relate in this situation, I would turn the other way and ignore what is happening in the world. In a way, this can relate to how some men feel whenever a woman gets raped. There are a few, good guys who will stand up for women because it is the right thing to do, even though the situation does not pertain to them. One personal mantra I live by is to always stand up for the right thing even if you’re alone. I literally cannot comprehend the thought of deliberately thinking less of someone just by the color of their skin.
People are entitled to their opinion, it is their right to have an ideal viewpoint. However, this rule does not apply whenever we are talking about basic human rights that people should just automatically have. In what world, is it ever okay to shoot and murder an innocent black man?? Why do we live in a country where the government is so power-hungry that they do not have any concern for the people they intentionally will not let flourish? This movement has taught me so much about how life really is like, and it opened my eyes up to see a completely different picture. White privilege is a prevalent thing in America and it is concerning to know all the incidents our government has covered up. It bothers me how, there is nothing I can do on my own to change the system and to finally make it fair. There are a lot of documentaries and movies about the history and challenges of this movement for racial equality. Being able to watch this history and hear real people’s stories, saddens me because no human should ever be treated the way people of color are. One documentary I watched on Netflix is 13th, it is an informative timeline of the growth of the prison systems and how the American government is skewing the process to keep black people in jail longer. There has been so many comparisons of the justices that have been served to black and white people and it is nowhere near comparable. People do not even realize this, but the government is purposefully taking away the rights of African Americans, that their ancestors spent centuries fighting for. Not just corrupt cops who murder and arrest innocent people, it’s also the judges who give harsher sentencing to black people versus a white individual. Crime does not have a skin color; each case needs to be focused on the person and not just the color you see outside.
There are ways that we can create change and establish a more beautified society by continuing to fight for everyone’s justice.
https://blacklivesmatter.carrd.co
Allison C Dibble 