Reflective Essay On Racism

There’s an old saying that “sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you.” In reality, that saying is wrong. Words hurt a person as much as punch or a kick can. It may not hurt someone physically, but it can scar someone mentally and emotionally. Due to the topics they are associated with, certain words or phrases can elicit strong reactions; some are positive, while others are negative but nonetheless, they all leave an impact on people. Today in class, we discussed a topic that is deeply engraved in American history yet widely avoided by many: race. More specifically, terms like “racist,” “All Lives Matter,” and “white privilege,” which may make some people uncomfortable but more than ever, need to be confronted and examined. We watched several videos containing a variety of people discussing their own personal thoughts and feelings on such terms to spark our own conversations on the same topics.
After viewing the first video on the word “racist,” I began to reflect on my own actions towards other people. One of the points that stood out the most to me was that even though not everyone is necessarily a racist person, everyone inherently holds prejudices. Although I’d like to believe that I am inclusive and not discriminatory, the reality is that I am still prejudiced and that I still discriminate others based on their appearance even though I don’t show it blatantly. Growing up in an Asian household, my parents taught me to be careful of certain