We have come a long way since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. Today, minorities share classrooms, water fountains, and restaurants with white people and no one gives that a second thought. There are still huge disparities, however, in regard to living conditions, educational opportunities, and political representation.
It is important, therefore, for minorities to stand together as one and demand that some changes be made. Much like the activists of the past, minorities need to make sure that their voices are heard and that actions are taken to reduce and perhaps prevent such disparities. Their voice is best heard through peaceful demonstration of their commitment to change. These proposed changes need to be made in areas of political, cultural, communication and community issues.
In the political realm, change can only come when minorities are fairly represented. For them to be represented, minority youth must be educated about the voting system, proposed and incumbent candidates and issues that are important to them. Minority leaders in the community should work together to make sure that political awareness begins at the elementary level and increases at the middle and high school levels so that the youth are well informed voters. They need to learn that their voice does count and that policymakers are interested in earning their vote. There is strength in numbers and with a well educated minority, it is quite possible that changes politically can lead to changes in social conditions as well. More importantly, by teaching students about the political system, we could inspire them to want to become leaders someday themselves. By doing so, minorities will then have more representation at the local, state, and perhaps even the federal level.
Minorities have many cultural differences that make them unique from one another. African Americans and especially Hispanics often place a great deal of importance on honor, pride, respect and family values. Focusing on these qualities is an important step in establishing unity between these two cultures. However, there is a fine line when considering the positive nature of these attributes. Sometimes these values, while positive at a glance, are the foundation of many **** crimes. Gang warfare is prevalent in these cultures and sometimes the quest for pride, honor and respect has a negative outcome. In order to harness the goodness of these qualities it is important to educate our youth about cultural differences and character development. By learning to respect each other, we learn to not only accept, but to celebrate our differences. Strengthening our families through education, parenting classes and personal development will help to guide our youth in the right direction and away from the allure of gang involvement. After all, most youth seek out gangs for acceptance, protection and love. As a society, and specifically as a united minority, we can work together to make sure that our children are finding these protections at home and in their classrooms rather than on the street.
Communication is also an issue. Much is lost in translation between Hispanic and African Americans not because of a language barrier (although that can sometimes be the case) but because of a failure to interpret or understand the motives of the other culture. Part of the problem is that our cities and our schools are divided into subsections where one race dominates the demographics and the others are quite small in number. When this happens, there is typically a lot of racial tension and fear for those who find themselves to be the minority. To alleviate the problem with communication it is important to know and understand the issues that need to be addressed and learn to communicate these issues properly. It is imperative that we become better listeners so that we understand the message and know what to do with the information when we receive it. By doing so, we can build a bridge between our cultures and increase our understanding and appreciation of one another.
Communities are strengthened as we make improvements in living conditions, establish a sense of unity, create stronger families, reduce gang activity and provide quality education and a safe environment for our children. To create a stronger community for minorities, issues must be addressed such as poverty, drug abuse, racism, and health care concerns. The key to success in these areas is to support the ideas of continued education and community involvement. As the saying goes, “people support what they help to create.” Unified together we can build strong communities that value differences, welcome change and promote genuine care and concern for the well being of its citizens.
Change does not occur overnight nor does it have a blanket effect. Change is gradual and it occurs one community at a time. One thing that could be done to initiate change within our communities is to start with just one community. Perhaps we could create such an environment that would be a model to other communities and as change occurs and results are shown through proven positive outcomes, it is possible that other community leaders will recognize the improvements and work to help create the same kind of change within their own community.
Hispanic and African American people need to feel as though they are a part of their community and that they are welcome. There is still a great deal of racism in our country and this is especially evident in the housing market as well as the job front. Landlords often bypass qualified tenants based on their race instead of their rental history. Likewise, employers have been known to overlook minority job candidates in favor of white employees. If this wasn’t an issue there would be no such thing as affirmative action. Affirmative action is really nothing more than a slap in the face to a minority. It is insulting to know that whether or not you are the best candidate for the job it is possible to be hired in order to satisfy a “quota.” Real change equals a change in perspectives and a change in attitudes. These changes will lead to changes in policy if Hispanics and African Americans are diligent in their pursuit of equality and unity.
Historically speaking, there are colleges and universities that serve primarily African American students. In order to truly create a unified minority, these schools should consider developing a magnet program for Hispanic students as well. This could be achieved by offering scholarships for deserving students and by expanding degree programs by creating a wide range of choices for students. Minority college students need to be involved in this critical issue of raising awareness and monies by campaigning minority business owners, entrepreneurs and CEO’s of the top Fortune 500 companies. The media should also be utilized in order to gain more exposure and capture community attention and support.
In addition to gaining support of the public and the private sector, it is crucial that the youth are made aware of the many federal aid programs available to them for funding their education. This should be done by visiting inner city campuses and communities and mentoring them as they make important decisions for their future. Many minority students will be first generation college students and will require help with the process of applying for admissions and financial aid. Colleges that seek to serve these individuals need to offer assurances to these students by making regular and frequent visits to their campuses and perhaps by offering tours of the colleges and college orientation classes in the high school class room. By keeping the dream alive of one day attending college and by showing these children that financial aid makes it possible for everyone to go to college, students are given hope and are allowed to dream of the day when they will begin their higher learning. These days success depends upon an education. Our best hope for a successful America is through the success of our children. Minorities must stand united in order to see that their children will have the same opportunity as other children in our country. Supporting the minority children of today effects the children of tomorrow. By building a community of well educated children, we will indirectly influence future generations by making tomorrow’s parents stronger individuals. This will undoubtedly create a higher standard of living and will improve equality among all children.
Although we do all have many differences and although we should embrace these differences, the truth is that the most wonderful moment will be when we stop viewing one another as “separate but equal” and start seeing us all for who we really are: One Human Race.
Hector Joseph Valles
22 May 07
