Segregation

Segregation does it still exist? I think back to my childhood. Growing up I lived in a neighborhood with not much diversity. Everyone was pretty much black. There were a couple of white people in the neighborhood, but not many. I didn’t know much about segregation at that time. I didn’t really realize that the town I grew up in was segregated. In my hometown, we have about eight elementary schools. They are all over town. Pretty much most of the black people lived in one part of the town so we were all segregated at one school. We didn’t get the chance to interact in more diversified setting until we got to middle and high school. I never understood why it was set up with like that. Now that I think about it. I think it was intentional.

Many were outraged when desegregation took place. Whites didn’t want to have to deal with blacks, and I am sure some blacks didn’t want to deal with white people. Many thought that this was a great thing. It definitely was, but who would have figured that we would still end up segregated. I know there are many towns that are like the one I grew up in. Blacks live on one side of town and whites live on the other. Why have we reverted back to what our ancestors tried to end?

I never really quite understood that there were two sides to my town until I was in high school. Another football player said to me that I wasn’t as good as him because I lived on the other sides of the tracks. I thought what the heck. Is this guy serious? He went on to say that those that lived on my side of the tracks were poor people and the rich people lived on his side of the tracks. A light bulb went off in my head. There are many people that live in my hometown that agree with that. Why are we still living like this? Why can’t blacks, whites, and/or latinos live together. Why do we have to stay segregated?

I really don’t understand it and probably never will. Many of our ancestors fought hard to get us desegregated, but all we have done is fallen back into old ways. We have just fallen back into what our ancestors worked hard to try and end. I don’t know if anyone can ever explain to me why this has happened. Will we ever be able to break this mold? Probably not, because America is content with how things are. Are you content with living in a segregated town?

I am America’s Nightmare…