I’ve certainly grown up in a predominately white community, and while I’ve always known that racism existed, I never really imagined that it was as still a big of a problem as people made it out to be.

As a white person, I’ve obviously never experienced racism firsthand.

My high school years have been very eye opening for me. I learned study habits and how to make friends in a sometimes hostile environment. I learned what feminists really stand for and why I should stand with them, too. Today, I’m going to talk about what I’ve learned about race relations, specifically in my community, but I’m certain this is happening in communities outside my own.

The type of racism I see at my school is not as much as an outward hostile action towards minorities as it is just a negative attitude or a prejudiced mindset. Many others are not as kind to say their hateful comments in private, and I personally know several blacks, Asians, and Hispanics that have been directly offended by comments made by students and faculty at my school. Certainly, I have pity for those who have grown up in such ignorant surrounding and the fact that they have been conditioned to be hateful towards other races, but that is not an excuse.

As pointed out in an excellent video, “Are you Racist? ‘No’ Isn’t a Good Enough Answer” by Marlon James, there’s a huge difference between being “not racist” and “anti-racist”. As a non-racist, you do not take action against those who are racist, you simply don’t participate in racist acts yourself. As an anti-racist, you actively work against racism, and no matter who you are, majority or minority, white or black, male or female, we should all be working against racism or any other troublesome trend that seeks to plague our friends, family, and fellow human beings on planet Earth.

A common trend among people that are “not racist” is the claim to “not see color.” The problem isn’t about not seeing color. Seeing color is very important. It’s very important to acknowledge what other races have been through. By “not seeing color,” you’re refusing to admit that their hardships exist. Ignoring racism is just as bad as committing acts of racism yourself.

As put so eloquently in one of my favorite quotes by the South African social rights activist, Desmond Tutu: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”

Our minorities have been suffering as the mouse under the elephant's foot for too long, and contrary to popular belief, racism didn’t end in 1954. If you are standing by and watching your friends being oppressed, you have become an enabler of the oppressor, and you are as bad as the oppressor yourself.

We need to work as a community and as individuals to help eradicate the type of hateful prejudices many people have towards other races. Stop being a “non-racist” and enabling the oppressor. It is your individual responsibility to put an end to racism at every opportunity you receive.