photo: @saintrecords / Instagram
Racial tension is a real issue at the moment. Zendaya recently alleged that she was treated badly because of her race at a supermarket, and there are some high profiled cases of police brutality and views, words, insults, and opinions being thrown around on Twitter.
Sharing her side of the story is Solange Knowles, who uses her experiences to paint a picture of the world she lives in. ‘You don’t feel that most of the people in these incidents do not like black people, but simply are a product of their white supremacy and are exercising it on you without caution, care, or thought. Many times the tone just simply says, “I do not feel you belong here.” Imagine.’
She tells a story of an incident where her family had trash thrown at them at a concert, and of how uncomfortable she feels voicing her concerns about racial prejudice. Because it’s out there. And just because she’s highlighting it doesn’t mean she’s targeting all white people or all Americans. She’s saying there are people out there that think this way, and treat us this way, and it has to stop.
‘You realize that you never called these women racists, but people will continuously put those words in your mouth. What you did indeed say is, “This is why many black people are uncomfortable being in predominately white spaces,” and you still stand true to that. You and your friends have been called the N word, been approached as prostitutes, and have had your hair touched in a predominately white bar just around the corner from the same venue.’
‘The statement you made makes headlines funny enough just days after it comes to light that Air China warns their flyers not to go into Indian, Pakistani, or Black neighborhoods in order to stay safe, while Texas schools are fighting to have textbooks calling Mexicans “lazy” removed from classrooms, and while Native Americans are doing everything they can possibly do to protect their sacred land from an oil pipeline being built on graves of their descendants. You know that people of colors’ “spaces” are attacked every single day, but many will not be able to see it that way.’
Read the full essay here.
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