Living in a realm of being social conscious is exhausting. I had an one sided conversation with Grams, my grandmother, today. I felt like I was lecturing a child on the evils of media and her pre-programmed mentality. I told her all about the perpetuating stigmas the media puts on not just POC (people of color) and their culture, but people in general.
The dumb blonde.
The “ghetto” black American.
The racist white American.
The drunken Irish.
The weak women.
The troubled youth.
The angry Italians.
The smart Asian.
The poor African. 
The Savage Native Americans. 
I tried to unclogged all those notions of people she had previously. However, I am only a slightly educated individual and was lacking expertise. I couldn’t push my ideas hard enough for her to grasp my concepts or maybe she was just that brainwashed there was no coming back for her. So I made a personal vow. This mind – set stops with the next generation. I don’t want prejudices being preached to the youth I come in contact with.
I have a 8 year old brother and he is easily influenced and sometimes to do the wrong thing. Today we were trying to get through his homework, with his ADHD in full effect, and I found him being super frustrated. It was obvious he does this often, give up before even trying. However, being the super tough sister I am, wouldn’t let him. He then began to yell and attempted to hit me. It is clear he has been hit in the past as a form of discipline, however, that’s now how I operate.
We had a yelling match, where my patience was tested and he did not get the better of me. I continued to tell him, I wouldn’t hit him out of anger and he would not do the same to me. He cried and threw papers and I sat there calmly. Once he got his feelings out I assured him, that tantrum wouldn’t help him finish his homework and if he stopped trying to avoid it we could finish it. He did as I asked and we even apologized for his behavior.
Now why, when I am clearly not around him often does is he able to show me more respect than I’ve seen him show my mother, brother, my grandmother, and especially his own father? Well like the reading for last Wednesday by Nick Mirzoeff explained the “plantation complex” is still effecting people. My family can only know, what they are taught or if they seek the information out, assuming it’s reliable information. So why in 2013, does this complex still exist? I feel like the internet memes are part of the problem.
They are created by a small group of individuals that use “popular opinion” to perpetuate already damaging idea of cultures and peoples.
Does anyone remember the reading on liking problematic things? Has it lingered in your mind as something other than a seemingly invalid opinion? Has the idea of laughing at these seemed natural and inconsequential?
I have a hard time finding the humor in any of these. I try and not poke fun at others because, although I may seems girly and weak, that shit hurtful. I would hate for someone in another country to read these and find truth within it. However, they will and so will some of you. It’s ok, claiming your ignorance is the first step to getting over it.
However these seems all too familiar to me. I was once that girl, laughing causally at other’s heritage or choosing to ignore it because, it wasn’t my personal struggle, but not anymore. I don’t want my little brother to be frustrated because my family haven’t learned the tools to help him as a child with a mental obstacle. I don’t want him growing up like myself and my old brother or my friends. I want him and I to never have to reverse his thinking because he’s been mentally enslaved. So although being this aware to this reality and making effort to counteract it is exhausting, if everyone tried just a little to do the same, I won’t have to look my little brother in the eyes and lecture like I did Grams today.