Lindsay Whitman-Orlin

11/21/21

SOC 265

ILC Reflection Paper

In Living Color Discussion Reflection

As I was reading and discussing the short stories from “In Living Color”, I was

moved by the short story Blake chose to read to me. He read #BLACKLIVESMATTER and

Blake expressed his struggles being black and how it affects his daily life. I have heard

from others before about their struggles, I have heard on the news, strangers online

posting their experiences, so I wasn’t hearing things I never heard before. I have,

however, continued to learn that racism in the United States is a problem that is deeply

rooted in our society, and there is no easy solution to fix this problem. 

           It is always a strange feeling to hear to someone close to your age express their

grievances with their life, when their life is completely different from yours in a negative

way. As someone who grew up white in a relatively privileged family/neighborhood, I

feel empathetic for those that must live life on eggshells. I never had problems because

of my race, so growing up, I always thought it was weird to teach others to not treat

people differently because of their skin color. However, as I got older and saw more of

the world, I realized how important that conversation is. I consider myself lucky to have
parents that taught me from as early as I can remember that not everyone shares the

same privileges that we have, simply due to the color of their skin.

           Some people wake up in the morning and already feel like they have a strike

against them due to their skin color. I am a member of a minority group myself, but one

that is far easier to hide than skin color. I am Jewish, and I know that if some people

knew that about me, they would treat me differently, and maybe in an abusive way.

They might assume things about me that are not true. I rarely display any signs of my

Judaism for exactly those reasons. Most black and brown people cannot hide their

minority status, even if they wanted to. As a white person, I never think about how a

police officer could ride by and target me. I never think I will be followed around a store,

watched by a store worker to make sure I don’t steal. Even if I know a lot about some

people’s struggles due to their race, I will never truly know what it is like to be a black or

brown person in America. 

           My opinions have not changed throughout my discussions with my classmates. I

went into the reading of this book and the discussions with the same mindset. These

stories reinforced what I already know. I added this knowledge to my ever-expanding

capacity to learn more about topics such as race and racism.

           With a story like #BLACKLIVESMATTER, this topic has been in the news for years. It

is not a secret that the United States law system is biased. In class, we learned about

deinstitutionalization, and this relates to the “In Living Color” readings because most of
the readings have to do with how black people are treated unfairly, whether by their

peers or law enforcement. Another story that deals with unfair enforcement of the law

is “It’s Beyond That”, in which Ervin Ray, a white man, talks about living in a

predominately black/brown neighborhood. He faced discrimination from police, being

illegally frisked by police. He also saw a black man being beaten up by police on his front

lawn. I have learned before about the abuse of power by law enforcement, but I think it

is still important to teach lessons like this in class. The US law system has been

unfavorable towards black and brown people for centuries. It is a problem that will take

a long time to fix but starting now is always better than never.

           I think everyone should read “In Living Color”. Not just the students at La Salle,

but everyone all over the world. I think everyone can learn from this book. It is never a

bad thing to have more knowledge of race and racism. Some might even read it and

learn something they never heard before. While reading the postscript at the end of “In

Living Color”, the message tells us to keep fighting, keep moving. We didn’t get to where

we are today without fighting back and questioning authority. Without putting in the

work, none of the success we have achieved today would exist. It is important to realize

the fight isn’t over, and we must continue our education towards a universal acceptance

of all people regardless of race. 

           The class discussions we had about race and racism would really benefit everyone,

including in the workplace and society in general. In a place like Philadelphia, a very
diverse and progressive city, there is still plenty of work to be done, just like other cities

throughout the country. 

           I think the best thing to do moving forward with the information I have learned

from “In Living Color” and the other ILC readings/videos, is to try and influence others to

gain the knowledge. Some of the things spoken about such as the voting rights act of

1965, are things not many people knew about (myself included), so lesser-known parts

of history like that should be taught to everyone. It is important to realize in the grand

scheme of time, 1965 wasn’t that long ago. My parents were born and were 5 years old

when that voting right became enacted. Some people have a disconnect from history

and don’t realize how recent some things were. 

           To conclude this reflection, I am glad we had a discussion like this in class. Topics

of race and racism are important to learn more about. Teaching others to be empathetic

of the lives of their peers is something we all can benefit from. There should be more

discussions like this, not just at La Salle, but all over the United States. We have come

far as a country to try and fix the wrongs committed in the past, but there is still so

much more work to do. People that have these kinds of discussions open doors for

those who haven’t thought about their race and how it affects their life, and maybe it

can help those who have opposing views to try and put themselves into the shoes of

those who aren’t the same skin color as them and learn to be more empathetic. 
           The book “In Living Color” is a great conversation starter for those wanting to talk

about race and learn more about racism. I had a very good experience reading these

short stories and I was interested in hearing from my partners and other class members

about the stories they read and how they learned or related to them. The most

important thing is to hear the firsthand experience of black and brown people living in

America. As I learned from #BLACKLIVESMATTER, we can read about it, think about it,

but we can never truly understand the experiences of black and brown people unless

we hear it directly from those who live it every day.