The Reality of a Sheltered World

After listening to the podcast, “The Problem We All Live With PART ONE”, by Nikole Hannah- Jones, it has become very clear to me that a problem I thought had been mostly resolved, such as racial segregation in neighborhoods, still exists today. 

 

I grew up very fortunate and sheltered from any most danger. My parents kept me very secluded and did not like for me to watch the news or have my own social media. They felt that the less I knew, the better off I was so I wouldn’t accidentally offend anyone or say something I didn’t mean. However, the first time I got a phone, in 6^th grade, I remember finally setting up my own accounts for all my social media. My parents were very hesitant to let this happen, because as I said, I grew up only knowing the “rainbows and sunshine” part of the world. 

 

During the pandemic, I remember having a talk with my parents about not spending too much time on my phone or on social media. This worked, for the first week or so. But as the quarantine mandate continued to get longer and longer, I became dependent on my phone to talk to my friends and keep up with the media. During May of 2020, news spread fast of the death of George Floyd. This was the first time I had ever really felt angry about something that happened that I had read about online that was completely out of my control. The death of George Floyd shocked me, and many others, and made me want to be able to help in any sort of way. I started asking my parents about how I could donate to organizations or charities that were dedicated to remembering the life of George Floyd. I wanted to implement change in my community and spread the word, however as a 15-year-old girl it was difficult. The Black Lives Matter movement was happening right outside my house, near the mall. It was a weird time, because I didn’t know whether to feel scared or to feel better that something was happening to try and change the ways of racist police officers. The protest that was happening all over the United States made me better understand the importance of the saying “treat others how you want to be treated”. 

 

The listening of Nikole Hannah-Jones podcast has brought more attention to me as a fortunate kid, that not everyone has had as easy an upbringing as I have, as well as the people I surround myself with. I never understood that a public education could be something that society makes difficult for people of color because of the areas they live in. Although I am not as educated as I should be about the different types of red lining and racial segregation that continues to happen today, I feel educated enough to have a stance on the matter. I know that the racial segregation within neighborhoods, including the Mississippi area where George Floyd was murdered, is wrong and we as a society need to come together to address and destroy that.