Learning About and Living With Racism In America: My Journey

There is an old saying, "Curiosity kill the cat, satisfaction brought him back." My curiosity was killing me after I read an article by Earl Ofari Hutchinson. (2013) "Why So Many People Believe Blacks Are America's Racists". That conclusion was based on a Rasmussen (2013) telephone poll of 1000 respondents and noted "a significant percent of blacks . . . said they consider more blacks racist than whites or Hispanics". Of course, a multitude of questions about the survey crossed my mind. The topic peaked my curiosity and I decided to explore whether, based on my journey after arriving in America, I could qualify as a Racist. During that journey, I had to research the definitions of "racist", "racism", "bigot", and the behaviors, social and hereditary norms, laws, etc., that could contribute to anyone in America, with such a diverse population, to be a racist. In my pursuit of that knowledge, I learned about the personal beliefs, social rules, laws, regulations, and more importantly the insidious nature of and how it affects the everyday lives of the American landscape.

My research lead to my journey of "Learning About and Living With Racism in America".