PHOTO ESSAY ON RACISM

JOHN AARON VAN A. CIRIO

“I can’t Breathe” These were 46-year-old George Floyd’s last words as he lay face
down on the street in Minneapolis, his hands were cuffed behind his back, as a certain
Police Officer casually ground his knee into Floyd’s neck, one hand in his pocket. Two
other officers kneeled on Floyd’s back and a fourth looked on, it is as if these officers
were warning passersby not to interfere. The killing did not stop when Floyd lost his
consciousness or when his heart stops beating, pulse gone, they continued for several
minutes, in that same picture. George Floyd got killed not by guns but by their bare
hands, a human touch or should I say inhumane touch.

All lives Matter. May we all be inspired by their innocence. The smile on their faces
depicts that everyone deserves genuine friendship. There is no such thing as color,
race or culture to consider in making friends. Children are not born to hate others
because they are different. They would never thought that someone is different if adults
around them won’t point it out. Their take on equality and fairness will always be based
on the people that surrounds them as they grow up.
Bend the knee. People from all walks of life, from different races and cultures express
their thoughts about racism. They took a stand with their own banner to speak up
against inhuman act. No one is superior when fighting for equality. Everyone has a say,
everyone, together fights against it.
RACISM. I don’t ever want to call it a trend. It could be considered as the most negative
trend, deadly perhaps. But it is the most talked about issue all over the world. And it is
never a recent topic. Racial slur has been going around for so long, it is offensive in so
many ways. Sometimes people had to express it in a type of joke but they didn’t know
how it affects the person receiving the statement. We've all been there — having fun
relaxing with friends and family, when someone says something a little racially off.
Sometimes it's subtle, Other times it's more overt, in any case, it can be hard to know
how to respond. Even the most level-headed among us have wavered trying to navigate
the anxious world of racial awkwardness. It could actually end up in a heated argument
and worst to proliferate hate amongst the crowd. Racism can take in many forms and
affect people throughout the world: Most often than not it makes it harder to get the job
and just be a part of the society due to your color or background.
As Filipino, my take on racism is that for our future generation shouldn’t suffer from the
actions of someone who learned to hate all because of the melanin in another’s skin. To
solve racism is to educate our students on the values of acceptance and understanding,
teach love instead of hatred against one another. Teach them to not judge due to
someone’s ethnicity
Relevant action needs to be taken to prevent our younger generations from repeating
the same mistakes older generations have. That racial conflicts need to be resolved
with love and understanding, that peace and prosperity needs to be spread about within
school districts and homes. Racism will not be solved with harsh actions, and cruel
words, but patience and decency, something we all should have learned, young and
adult. Awareness on racism shouldn’t just starts with kids, educating an adult who have
a different view on things would likely help keep up with our goal to eradicate unfair
treatment to one another.