They Called Us Enemy is one of the many stories that bring attention to the topic of racial injustice. Nowadays, many platforms exist where people can share their experiences when it comes to racism and many other problems. As a society, we recognize racism as an issue, but what have we done about it? We have protested and demanded equality, yet racism seems to be a continuous, never-ending cycle. We acknowledged that racism is wrong and should end, but there seems to be no change. Our technology is advancing, education is growing, and society is advancing. Yet how come we can never seem to overcome problems like racism? Why is it that, as a community, we keep dividing? We get shut down or ignored whenever we try to advance in our mission of achieving equality. 

Racism is not something that can be prevented with a law. It can’t magically disappear. We will always continue to have opinions about other ethnic groups. It is natural for each race to think of themselves as superior and to think of all different races as inferior. Opinions cannot be prevented, but they can sound like negative statements when voiced a certain way. These opinions can also significantly affect the future when they are projected onto kids.

Kids are the future generation. As explained in The Play Mountain podcast, what we teach kids now will affect their behavior in the future. They are so easily influenced and absorb everything they hear and see. Racism continues to be an issue because it is implanted in children’s minds. Kids see how their parents react or act towards different races, and they copy their reactions. They form an opinion of a certain race based on the statements they heard from their parents. If we want a chance to create a better society, we need to teach our kids that difference is not something to be ashamed of. If we want to minimize racism as much as possible, it starts with us. We are the ones that should be teaching these kids to love one another no matter the race. If we want to end this continuous cycle, we must also change.