Wait, I thought that since Obama is now our president, racism no longer exists.

Obviously, I’m being sarcastic in my blog’s title.  This week during AIS, the topic of slavery/racism was discussed.  Though one may think that these are things of the past, they are completely wrong.  Resentment for slavery is still real within many African Americans today, and many whites still feel superior to people with a different colour of skin.  The only difference from when slavery was alive is that now, the whites who feel superior don’t announce it to the public; they hold it inside and secretly dislike minorities.

            I personally do not think of myself as a racist, but whether I am or not is subjective to the eyes of the beholder.  I don’t view minorities as less than me, but I would be lying if I said I have never laughed at a racist joke.  For instance, my older sister thinks that I am a racist because I watch South Park, which can be racist at times.  I don’t watch South Park because I’m racist, though.  I watch it because it’s a funny show in general. 

 

            An example that proved to me that racism is still very real happened just yesterday.  I was at a regatta for rowing in Ohio.  Me and a couple of other guys were watching boats go by from the shore, when one of my friends (who will remain unnamed) said “hey, look at that coxswain right there”.  For those of you unfamiliar with the sport, the coxswain is the person who steers the boat and makes commands.  I personally saw nothing wrong with the coxswain.  He was steering straight, and I could hear him making good calls.  Then I noticed that he was African American, and all of his rowers were white.  While I think that this is not necessarily racist, just my friend noticing the colour of the coxswain’s skin standing out, some of you may think that my friend is an inhumane person for saying this.