Growing Up Black

The societal perception and personal experience work equally to affect the life of a black person in America. Society will impact others to determine whether a black person belongs in a space. In turn, societal norms will dictate the treatment a black person will receive within everyday day-life or in urgent situations based on the color of their skin. Now all of the instances mentioned above are not only rooted in discrimination, but they also play a deep role in the experience of a black person in America. In the NY times documentary, a young man named, Jumoke shared his experience of growing up black and stated,

“[M]y parents taught me oh no cops are your friends, they are here to protect you, but all I am seeing is the opposite. So how can I not feel afraid when I feel like I’m being hunted... when I feel like I’m there to fill a quota” (The NY Times).

He then elaborates on the black experience in America by relaying that, “Every time we (black people in America) are killed the first thing you see on the news is the criminal record. From the second the bullet hits us we start to become dehumanized” (The NY Times).

Based on the documentary and the young men’s accounts one can surmise that growing up black in America is not an easy task. It takes all forms of courage to leave your home every morning and dive into a society that to some degree is unwelcoming. Growing up black can seem bleak at times, but in the end, we are one step closer to a better nation… a better society.