Upside Down

for the Black community. Because Black lives do matter.

I can't breathe. – George Floyd, 2020.

History classes are not given to learn about it lightly, but to acknowledge the mistakes done and fix them so that it doesn’t repeat itself. I don’t care about your laws, I care about why they were chosen. I don’t care about your amendments, I care about why the constitution was changed. I don’t care about your presidents, I care about why they were elected and the changes they made.

'White' people are afraid that blacks will do them harm. 'Black' people are afraid of whites because they do get harmed by them. 'Whites’ do attack and kill them. It’s all over the history books. It’s all over the history films and documentaries. Time and time again, 'Whites' feel entitled and that they are superior than the rest. Stating that the only reason they attack is when being attacked, otherwise they would do no such thing.

In history books, one can find texts and pictures of slave markets, of them being forced to work in plantations. Of slaves being whipped by their owners when they were hurt, sick, tired, or healthy.

One can find information about the American Civil War that, although it was centered around politics and economy, started because of slavery. About slaves rebelling against their masters. Of slaves helping one another, even when times were tough and ripping them apart. Of slaves having to escape into the dangers of the night with hopes of being alive to see the next day. Of the runaway slaves being tracked down and beaten to death.

One can also find facts and pictures about slaves finally being free. Yet they are still under a tight grip from their previous masters. Everything is separated. You have the slave bathrooms and the owners bathrooms. You have the reserved seats in public transportations for the "rightfully". You have the different entryways into stores, libraries, schools. Name any place and it had two separate things because "God forbid the owners touch something the slaves have!"

Slaves go from working in plantations to working in houses and factories because they don’t have the rights or privileges to have something better. Slaves being oppressed when they try to raise their voice for what is right. Slaves being torn away from their families and native country. Slaves not having their lives matter because they’re "slaves" and aren’t seen as people – even though they are free and certainly are human.

One major thing you’ll also find in the history books: the slaves always have dark skin. They are classified as "black people". Another thing that you’ll find is that the masters and owners are light skinned, referred as "white people". You’ll never find it to be the other way around in those books, or in the present either.

'Whites’ have always destroyed others. They’ve made sure to extinct Native Indians from the American continent. Only a small percentage of Native Americans are left and they’ve restricted them into reservations. 'Whites' have completely taken over populations – and not in the good way. They have enticed wars all over the world and have continued to do so because weaponry is now a business.

'Whites’ feel entitled to so many things because "they’ve made all of the great breakthroughs and have made things great". They pride themselves in forming a developed country and increasing the economy. They boast about being "inclusive" and "nondiscriminatory".

But 'Whites’ seems to be missing the most important thing a person could ever have: to be humane. We are humans, after all.

To be humane means: to be tender, compassionate, and sympathetic towards people and animals, especially for the suffering and distressed. To act in a manner that has no intention to consciously harm said beings. It belongs and is the study of human ways. A human being is a person. A person is not defined by their skin color. At the end of the day, we are all flesh and bones with souls. Our skin serves us only to hold everything in place.

So what’s the difference between a "white", "black", "yellow", or any other race color you can name? Nothing. We all come from the same place and we all will end up in the same place – it doesn’t matter what you believe in. We all live in planet Earth. We all have the same potential and organs. We all have brains and a voice. We all have human rights because we are all humans.

'White' people may boast about being inclusive and nondiscriminatory, yet someone appears with a different skin tone and everything is chaos. Especially if it is a 'black' skin toned person. For some reason, 'white’ people fear or detest them because they immediately think that something wrong will happen. Have they not learned anything from their extensive history lessons over the years?

'White' people see a 'black' person and immediately associate them with gangs, drugs, robberies, killings, and any other criminal act. There is not even a second to ponder that maybe, this particular person is not like that. Because for the 'Whites', all 'Blacks' are the same.

Surprisingly enough, it’s the 'Whites' who are almost always found dealing with gangs, drugs, robberies, killings, etc.

Currently, in many countries, including the United States, there is no slavery. But slavery is not only found when you belong to someone or you are bought. Slavery also takes place when a situation, or influence, completely dominates a person.

'Black' people are slaves to the constant oppression they experience on a daily basis. They are instantly judged and accused just by being around a place – whether it be in their own car, at a park bird watching, running around their own neighborhood, walking down a street. 'Black' people are not given the factor of doubt when they are wrongly accused of rape or murder, because "who else could possibly do it?" There is always a clear line between self defense and willingness of an act. And most of the times, 'Black' people find themselves being victims under 'White' slavery.

'Blacks' and 'Whites' are written that way through the text for a reason: There is no such thing as a black person or a white person. It is physically not possible to find someone with these skin colors, so why do we need to classify them like that? And if that were the case, why do we need to marginalize and degrade a person based on their skin color.

At the end of the day, aren’t we all just humans? Aren’t we all just flesh and bones?

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. – Martin Luther King Jr.

The world is upside down and emotions are haywire, but that does not mean we, as humans, are different. We are the same with our own differences. It’s what makes us humans and not robots. Just because I’m light skinned, doesn’t mean I’m a better person. And just because I encounter a dark skinned person it automatically means that they will hurt me. Raising our voices together does an impact. Fighting for what’s right does have results.

Everyone has the same power to do anything they put their mind to. No matter if they are "yellow", "black", or "white". So let’s be a little more humane, because all lives matter. And that includes the Blacks, too.

My #somethingdifferent today is to sign the JusticeForGeorgeFloyd petition.

I encourage you all to do the same, so that justice can be done,

but what will be your #somethingdifferent?

– Ciana Tejada