The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Being that February is Black History Month, the memory that came to mind for me was the experience of prejudice that the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. endured while trying to bring about legal segregation, equality and justice for all mankind, but especially for African Americans.  The South was and still is a place known for prejudice because of race. 

Because of the prejudice and hatred Dr. King and many others that fought for legal segregtion, justice and equality were jailed, beaten, and called racist names. But the most disturbing thing is that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated because of prejudice.  And, many other blacks were murdered due to racial discrimination and prejudice. 

I have felt anger and sadness because of what so many people have endured just because of the color of their skin.  Again, I would like to stress the fact that we are all human beings no matter what our skin color is or what our religious preference, sexual preference, or social status may be; when we focus on these issues and judge a person because of things such as we are doing an injustice to that person.  Remembering that, "prejudices are often accompanied y ignorance, fear, or hatred."

I think that people have to change and realize the damaging effects that come about from practicing prejudice, bias, internalized oppressions.  Yes, we all have a right to feel the way we want to feel, but we do not have the right to inject those negative feelings on others and to devalue their self-worth as a person.

                                                                           Reference

Teaching Tolerance. (n.d.). Test Yourself for Hidden Bias. Retrieved May 25, 2011, from

     http://www.tolerance.org/activity/test-yourself-hidden-bias